Memories
by Celeste Fox
Summary: In the small village of Ordon there is a young farm girl. Everyone knows her to be Zelda, the daughter and grandaughter of the two most beloved women in all of Ordon. She has a reputation of a bitter young lady, preferring a quiet life. That is, until a certain blond stranger appears, and her world turns to mayhem as she is tossed into a destiny set out for her by the Goddesses.
1. Prologue

A/N: Hi there! So welcome to Memories. Glad it caught your interest. ;P This the third(or maybe fourth...) rewrite I've done for this idea, and since I like the direction I'm going with this one so far, I decided to post the first chapter/prologue. This was originally going to be part of the first chapter, but I decided to cut it out into a prologue of sorts. The actual chapters will be much longer, I promise~

Here's a bit of information about this fiction before you continue:

First off, readers will find that this setting takes place hundreds of years after the events of Twilight Princess. The world of Hyrule is very similar, with a few exceptions added on, and perhaps a few original areas which have been expanded slightly to fit the story. I imagine this to have a more mature tone, in the way that it is executed, how the characters act, to even how the entire story appears in the readers mind. Hopefully I will be able to live up to my own expectations, and that you all will enjoy it. If any of you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them all! :3

Also, as I said, I want this to have a mature feel, and that means the content, especially in the romance department, may be a bit on the explicit side. There may be some violent scenes, fighting, etc, and romantic scenes will also consist of some suggestive scenarios. I have not decided if there will be a lemon(in which case, I will switch the rating to M once I see it leading down that road), but most likely any such things will be timeskipped unless I'm confidant that I can write them in a delicate enough manner that is suited not only for the story itself, but also for public posting. Anything else goes! *Cough* Heavy make-out scenes- *Cough* Ahem, anyway. This will stay in Zelda's perspective throughout the story, with possible exceptions for filler/crucial chapters needed in Link's point of view. I don't want to switch around too much, since it confuses me above all else. xD

Another warning, this will contain both direct and indirect spoilers for the following games: Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time. and Twilight Princess. As far as the Zelda timeline goes, these are the only three that are present in the universe of Memories. If you have not played the game(s), and do not want to be spoiled, I suggest waiting to read this at a later date. Skipping spoiler parts would be a bit icky, since a good chuck of the story revolves around past lives from the previous games. You should also be aware that even though this is the future after all those games, there will be many OCs in the story due to the fact that almost all the canon characters are dead. I, for one, hate OCs in fanfictions for some odd reason, so I'm going to try and keep them as close to in-game characters as possible. I will try to link them to past canon characters as best as I can. They shouldn't cause too much trouble. ;)

I think that's about it for now. My apologies for the long notes. /Shot

Enjoy!

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I do not own the lovely Legend of Zelda franchise, which consists of the games, characters, and settings mentioned within this fanfiction.

* * *

_**Prologue**_

The wind rustled through my hair, caressing my face as it sped towards the direction of the loud market behind me. Normally the autumn breeze left a comfortable warmth in my heart whenever it came flying back in after a hot summer. Yet I felt chilled to the bone as it pushed its icy fingers through the last part of my being. I wrapped my shawl tighter around myself, the worn thing unable to bring the heat back, and too impotent to create its own. To top it off, the sun had set, leaving streaks of orange and yellow hues that stretched atop the tree tops, only a memory of what it was during the day.

Normally I wouldn't have gone out to the Traveling Market so late in the evening, especially after the last few weeks, but fate hadn't allowed me to be so lucky as to choose when I would take the trip through the forest. It was just this afternoon that Dominus had finally handed over my payment for the last month of work. It had been a brutal five weeks, and it had left me with not one rupee left in my pocket; and my empty wallet told me that it had not been the time to be buying books. So I'd had to wait.

I had actually begun to believe that Dominus might wait another week to pay me after we'd been having such a slow season, so I was rather surprised that he'd handed over the bundle of his beloved rupees just in time. It's a good thing he didn't know that I had been planning to head over to the Traveling Market, otherwise he surely would have held off on paying me until tomorrow. After all, all of Ordon, including myself, was convinced that his goal in life was to make one person miserable for each day that passed. Somehow I'd manage to leap over that hurdle almost painlessly, and now my victory's prize was pressed tightly against my palm.

Turning the leather-bound object in my hands, my fingers grazing over every bump and line in the surface, I took in the title etched into the front. The Hylian characters were curved into graceful patterns. I memorized the words, and analyzed the possible meanings. Oh, how long had it been since I'd held a new book in my hands? Well, I suppose that would be since the last time the Traveling Market came around; this time one year ago. The caravan of merchants used to come around up to four times a year, selling all sorts of seasonal goods. Now they only managed to come during Fall, when most of the merchants' other stops ran into Faron Province.

I scowled, entering the dark cave that allowed passage from Faron Spring to the rest of Faron Province. Light was nonexistent, save for scarce lanterns hung at random points along the rock walls, and many of those had dwindled to nothing without daily maintenance. Thinking back to the days that this very cave was a cozy little place where many young children of the provinces came to play, an ache settled dully in my chest. Those times were long past. It was rare to see an Ordonian child even leave the village, let alone come all the way out to play at the spring.

Tucking the precious book to my chest, my arms hugged it almost protectively as I trudged forward, willing the length of the dank cave to shorten. In attempt to ignore the eerie silence, I began to clutter my thoughts with trivial things. I would need to feed Baily when I got home…oh, and I still need to check over the crops! I also promised Belle that I would help fix up the baby room; she was expecting, and the baby could pop any time within the next month. It was just terrible that Cal wouldn't be back in time, and she was left to be taken care of by her mother. I also would need to fetch some fresh water from the stream. And, of course, I'd planned on visiting _her_; it had been at least a week since I'd gone out to the temple to see her.

I glanced up to see the golden afternoon light streaming into the opening of the cave, and was pulled from my thoughts. Relief filled me, and I slowed to a comfortable stroll once fully emerged from the darkness. My eyes shifted about, glancing at the familiar scene of the forest. Momentarily, my eyes' line of vision fell upon the bubbling spring to my right. I came to a stop, sucking in a deep breath through my nose as I stared hard at those crystal falls. If it had been like before, I would have stopped to pray, but now I found only contempt as I studied the waters through narrowed slits. Without much more thought, I turned my back on Faron Spring. Ready to exit the immediate area of the Light Spirit, I took a step forward when my body came to a full halt, fear rattling through me. The sound of a splash and water beating heavily against the sand alerted me to the chance of something having entered the spring behind me, and a strange light was reflecting onto the rocky walls that surrounded the perimeter. I swallowed hard, eyes wide.

The air shuddered, and the wind died. My heart stopped, then proceeded to fly off in my ribcage, beating relentlessly in my horror. A chill penetrated under my skin, raising the hairs on my arms and neck, and leaving an ache in my belly. The Earth seemed to stop spinning for a time, and the only movement, the only noise, was the thing behind me, and my restless heart.

It was here: a monster.

* * *

A/N: Did you like it? Did ya? O3O

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter for this story! Reviews are full of good nutrition, and help me write faster. ;) Don't feel shy~

If I see that people are interested, I'll be sure to post the (official) first chapter as soon as possible. 'Til next time! *Poofs into smoke*


	2. Chapter 1: The Sin Remembered

A/N: Hey guys! Back with the first chapter. If you see any mistakes or discerning details throughout the story, please let me know. I'll take any sort of criticism, be it on grammar, spelling, character development, plot, etc. Feel free to comment on any of that stuff. ^^ Also, just a reminder, but if something seems different from the game, it's because I may have altered something to make it fit the story or scenario (e.g. Faron Spring being deeper than it actually is). On another note, this chapter throws a ton of OCs at you towards the end. Be prepared for that in the future, because there is rarely going to be a familiar face in this story, and most of the people that the characters will meet will be entirely new. That doesn't mean I can't wedge in a few canon people, or some references. ;)

I'd also like to thank everyone who reviewed the prologue. It always makes me excited to see new reviews in my inbox. Keep 'em coming, because they make my day, I assure you. Oh, and don't think I didn't notice your review, Trevor. ;P Although you exaggerate! =3=

Anyway, please enjoy the chapter!

Enjoy!

Rating: K+

Warning: Mild Cursing

Disclaimer: I do not own the lovely Legend of Zelda franchise, which consists of the games, characters, and settings mentioned within this fanfiction.

* * *

**The Sin Remembered**

My blood turned cold in my veins, and my breathing became abnormally controlled. Body frozen, hands clutching my new book tight to my chest. I should have made a run for it as soon as I felt the difference in the air. I should have gotten as far away as my legs could possibly carry me, rather than mimic a statue as I was doing now, all the while wasting precious seconds that could save my life. I felt my heart jumping everywhere at once. It was in my ears, my head, and throbbing in my throat. I found it hard to swallow, and I wondered if I would faint.

I stood there for one long second more, before willing myself out of whatever trance of terror I'd fallen into. I was surprised that I had not been approached or attacked yet. By now, I should be dead. Then again, time seemed to be ticking slowly. The supposed minutes felt long and grueling, but logic told me it couldn't have been more than a mere ten seconds. The light that bounced off the earthen walls faded, and my vision turned dull in the fading light of the sky.

Why was I not dead already? This was unexpected. I had thought the monsters to be more barbaric, to grasp at a chance to kill anything in motion without hesitation. That's what everyone believed. Perhaps this wasn't like the rest of the forest dwelling creatures of the night? Was it something entirely unknown? The idea that it may be the kind of predator that stocked it's prey sent a shiver down my spine. To think that they might actually have that kind of level of intelligence was horrifying to say the least. I didn't want to face it, and I didn't want to run. I wouldn't give it that sickening satisfaction.

I turned on my heel, preparing myself to see something that I never would be prepared to see. As my vision blurred for that split second, the silence suddenly had pervaded my thoughts. My eyes fell on an outline in the spring, and every nerve in my body jolted before my brain could catch up. That wasn't a monster. In fact, there were no monsters in sight. If anything, the figure appeared to be very…human. I was sprinting towards the spring's bubbling waters before I could even consciously tell my body to do so, my gaze locked on the strong back that floated above the surface.

The water was remarkably warmer than usual as my feet splashed thoroughly through the shallow shore. My progress slowed to sluggish pace as I forced my way into the waist-deep waters of the spring, waded my way towards the body in a panicky mess. My brow furrowed with anxiety, leaving creases so deep that it actually left a dull ache in my forehead. Just a couple more feet. I pushed forward, half swimming, half leaping. As I'd expected, it was a man. I reached I hand out towards him, my hand stilling in uncertainty. Could monsters trick a person with their appearances? After all, I hadn't seen a drowned boy when I entered Faron Spring not two minutes ago; now here he was!

No! I had to stop this constant fear. This was a man. A _living_ man. Or so I hoped. Without any more delay, I wrapped my hands around the man's shoulders and turned him over with some effort. He didn't gasp for air. He wasn't breathing. His body was rigid, and, when I touched his cheek, he felt terribly cold despite the warm water he soaked in. My eyes widened in horror. Was he dead? With little sanity left I hastily placed my ear against his chest, my thoughts too jumbled to think of an easier way to check for a pulse. My eyes squeezed shut as I listened carefully, praying to whatever god or goddesses that I would hear a thump.

I felt stone cold from the silence, until a low noise caught in my ears. It was a light, fluttering thing. The sound was weak, but it was there. Relief flooded me. Perhaps the goddesses had pulled through; this time. I realized all too late that I needed to get him out of the spring. It should have been one of the first things I'd done, and I now wasted seconds that could kill whatever heartbeat was left in this poor man's chest. Frustrated with myself, and scared for his life, I sloppily slid my arms under his shoulders, the crooks of my elbows locking into his armpits as I tugged, pulled back against the force of the water around me. The effort it took to finally get him to the shoreline left me slightly discerned, as I knew time was key when it came to reviving someone.

"Oh, goddess no." I breathed, realizing that I would be the one needing to do the reviving. It had been quite some time since I was taught the technique, and I didn't trust myself not to break a rib, or something else of vital importance. Fumbling, I shifted on my knees, the sandy grains digging into my skin as I bent over the man's seemingly lifeless frame. I cupped his chin, effectively opening his mouth, my other hand reaching up to close off his only other airway. I inhaled a low, deep breath of air before ducking down and pressing my open lips against his. As steadily as possible for my currently shaken state, I exhaled. I moved back, inhaling a second deep breath before repeating the process. As I'd already known and feared, he showed zero reaction to this. My breathing hitched in paranoia of the next move. I never was able to successfully preform the second portion of this technique correctly.

I sat up straight, removing my hands from his face to move towards his chest. They shook in my vision as I placed them appropriately on his chest, locking my arms. I mentally prepared, and was surprised when something warm hit the back of my hand. I realized with slight exasperation that I was crying. Squeezing my eyes shut, causing more liquid to rolled down my cheeks and drip from my chin, I readied myself. Yet something strange occurred. Rather than my hands doing the work, it seemed the chest rose to meet them instead. The loud gasp for air was processed in my mind seconds afterwards. Lids shooting open, my head whipped over to stare down at the man's face.

Somehow, he was breathing. I'd done nothing, and he was breathing. He was alive! I had never felt such immense gratefulness for life in a long, long time. I placed my hand delicately to his shoulder, shaking him slightly. No response. I shook harder once more, but none of the telltale signs of a man regaining consciousness appeared. So that had only been a reflexive impulse to breath. Something was very wrong, and he needed to see a doctor immediately. I would have to get help, and alert Dr. Shaddo. I began to push up to my feet, calculating how long it would take me. I knew that the trip through the forest back to Ordon could be travelled in less than twenty minutes if I ran. Perhaps forty-five minutes in total if I was quick enough.

A slight breeze began to pick up, combing right through my being. I shuddered violently, my wet clothes being brought to my attention. I glanced down towards the man at my feet, and realized it wouldn't be so simple. The night brought cool air turned frigid when damp. Not only that, but it brought _them_ as well. I craned my neck, glaring daggers at the sky where a sun was no longer present. The warm and fiery colors of sundown were giving into the cooler hues of twilight. Something or another would kill him, whether I made it back or not. So, I was left with my own ultimatum. I could attempt to haul him back to Ordon on my own, making the trip three times as long, and could possibly result in being stranded out in the forest after nightfall, which would ultimately risk the death of us both. Or I could save myself, and leave him here to get picked off by whatever demon found him. I felt the bile rise in my throat, and moved to bend down at his side.

It took some good deal of effort to pull him into a sitting position, and I can't stress the screaming of my muscles once I finally managed his body into a standing—rather, slumping— stance. I had always thought of myself as a fit young girl. Intensive laborious work was my day job, and I often helped Rada with his unruly goats from time to time. Now I wondered if I've been lazy with my work all this time, seeing as how I'd made no progress and was already out of breath. Ashamed with my lack of stamina, I grunted as I shifted the heavy body against my side, wrapping the man's arm around my shoulder, and I in turn wrapped my arm around his waist. He wasn't a large man. Muscular, yes, but nothing in comparison to most Ordonian men. Thank the goddesses, because I'd have really left him for dead if he was that bulky.

With one large heave, I dragged my feet, tugging him along with me. I took another step, and another, soon falling into a rythme. Heave, tug, breath, repeat. Once I'd picked up the pattern, I found it easier to move, less strenuous to hold his weight, and my progress was slowly growing. Soon, the bubbling of Faron Spring grew softer, and the sky darkened. Time seemed to be speeding up, while my pace and strength withered. It came to a point that I had to stop, to take a break. I leaned over, letting the male slip out of my grip. Propped up against a tree, he slid into a slumped posture. I, too, pressed my weary body against a sturdy tree, and slid down onto my butt. Feeling the sudden chill, I wrapped an arm around my body.

Despite the coolness, perspiration still stuck to my skin, and I wiped some sweat from my brow. With glazed eyes, I took in my surroundings. I was still in Faron, but the path had becoming winding and narrow. I knew the forest well, and so I found comfort in the fact that I was already half way there. If I was right – I searched the trees, scanning the trunks of each one until my eyes narrowed in on one not more than ten feet away. I saw the carved marks, the indented words lighter than the outer bark, and felt relief flood me. The bridge was close, and after that I would be in Ordona Province. Was this not a suicide mission after all? The impending doom didn't seem so impending anymore.

It was then that I heard it. It was distant and low, hushed by the constant breeze that rustled the tree branches above my head. Yet I'd still heard it clearly. The sound was something that made your heart drop, and caused your stomach to churn. It was guttural, almost like a growl, but not smooth enough to be called even that. Night had fallen, and they were officially prowling in the open now. They could have been miles away, or only a short distance from where I sat. I felt panicked, and I couldn't think; I needed to calm down.

So I rolled my head over to stare at the only living soul with me. His cheek was pressed against the rough bark, and his chin rested atop his shoulder. His body shook; something I had been too absorbed in my own thoughts to realize earlier. In contradiction to this, sweat beaded along his brow, and his breathing had become slightly irregular. His face seemed scrunched up in pain. This suffering appearance hit me hard, and made some sort of protective impulse bubble up. Maybe it was some sort of motherly instinct I didn't know I had, but it seemed surprisingly strong as I continued to study that pitiful expression. I reached up a hand, pushing damp blond bangs back from his face as a frown settled on my lips. I needed to start moving, to get us back to Ordon.

"Everything will be okay. I won't leave you," I spoke softly, wary of making too much noise. Something compelled me to introduce myself, despite his unconscious state, "My name's Zelda. Remember that, okay? You can tell me your name once you wake up." Despite how crazy I felt to be talking to him like this, it comforted me somehow to say those things. As if it was guaranteed that we would make it to Ordon, and he would wake up soon. After that, I was quick to get moving once more. I was right about the bridge, because it was just around a curve in the path. As I was crossing it into Ordona Province, a disharmony of monstrous howls was muffled in the distance, but I felt less worried about them. Rarely did a monster enter so close to Ordon. Although I refused to stop even after I passed Ordon Spring, because even if monster sightings were rare, they were not completely unheard of. If they knew something defenseless was out in these woods with them, I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to stroll on up even to Ordon's gates. With all the myths and unknowns of those demons, I feared the possibility that they could smell weakness. I wouldn't risk anything.

The sky grew drearily dark, and I stumbled blindly with the man's body close for many minutes more. The energy had once more been drained from me, and I felt the need to sit again. My shoulders arched, my back screamed, and my lungs hurt with every sharp intake of cold air. My physical state was groaning at me, demanded that I rest, but I kept pushing myself further. My exhaustion muddled my thoughts, and sweat blinded my vision. I had almost missed it when the first flicker of lights appeared, bouncing off the trees. Ordon! Oh, thank Nayru for all that was holy! I had never been happier coming back to my home village than in this moment.

Cole found me first. He'd been at his usual post by the gates. I'd been surprised to see he hadn't closed them, because it was far past the time that they were to be sealed shut, as dictated by Dominus. I briefly remember feeling relieved, and seeing his expression aghast with horror. I thought I had smiled, but all I saw after that was the ground coming closer. Everything turned to black.

Fog coated my every thought, and already forgotten dreams still floated about. There was a noise at my side. It was a heart wrenching sound; like sobbing. As I started to feel more focused, I could hear low murmurs around me, and hushed sighs. A squeak of a chair, and the water running momentarily somewhere close. The softness under my body, and a warm cover. My left hand was numb. Why? The sobbing was loud in my ear, achingly so.

I tried to open my eyes quickly, but found them sluggish, unwilling to crack open more than half way. I forced them to, and peeked around. I was in my living room, on the cot that always sat in the corner close to the bathroom. Cole sat in the old, creaky chair that had been gathering dust at the foot of the cot for who knows how many years. His eyes widened when my gaze fell upon him. I was confused, but knew for some reason that I would dread the announcement of my consciousness. I made one last sweep of the room. Belle was kneeling next to me, my hand in her death grip as she made a mess of snot all over the place. Who had let the emotional pregnant girl in here? Really, not smart. Sord was sipping a glass of water by the sink, looking very tired. His wife, Opella whispered in hushed tones with Ulina; both wore worried expressions. The last person in the room was none other than Dominus. He sneered at me, but before I could even have the chance to feel utter disgust, and anger towards whoever had let him into my home, Cole jumped up from his seat.

"She's awake!"

Belle's head whipped up so fast that I swore just looking at the motion gave me whiplash, "Oh, hun! I thought of all the terrible somethings when Cole came rushing you into the village!" For a pregnant woman, she sure was fast to crash all her weight on me in a crushing hug. Cole realized quickly that I was dying, and came to pry her off. Thank the goddesses for that. The other Ordonian women came rushing to my side, but Sord stayed to the kitchen, a look of pure relief shining in his eyes.

"Give her some space to breathe, Belle!" Cole insisted, and I slowly sat up. Many protests came at me all at once when I threw my legs off the bed, and my head pounded. Pushing my feet hard against the sturdy wooden floor, I put a palm to my forehead, pushing my bangs up in the process, and wondering why everyone was intruding on my home at…I glanced out the window to find it was clearly the dead of night.

"What…" I croaked, trying again once I cleared my throat, "What happened?" Silence fell over them all, and I insisted with a harsher tone now, "What _happened?_"

Cole was the first to speak, as usual, "You don't remember? I was about to close the gates—" he shot a look at Dominus, who was glaring at me, "and you came stumbling up. It was pretty late for anyone to still be out in the forest, but there you came, wandering up and passing out right outside the gates," He told his story with a very exasperated, disbelieving tone, "Of course, I get you back in before closing the gates, and—" I cut him off on that note.

"I think I know the rest." I said, before my face fell. That's when I had a moment of déjà vu. The scene popped up in my head; Cole's face as he stood at the gates, and then blackness. In the next few seconds the following evening followed me with images, and I finally remember the events prior to Cole's little retelling.

"The man!" I exclaimed suddenly, startling every single one of them. I looked up at them with wide, possibly wild eyes, "Where is he?" I began to futilely twist back and forth, scanning the room for any sight of him.

"Zelda? Zelda!" I stopped my frantic searching to stare up at Cole, "You mean the man you brought to the gate?" He questioned, and I nodded passionately. He seemed to become uncomfortable, and shot another glance at Dominus. A wretched smile fell upon that man's equally wretched face. "We…had to leave him. You know the rules." Cole became downcast, quiet, and he let his head fall. Not believing this falsity, I looked towards Belle. She refused to meet my eye. Opella, Ulina, and Sord all did the same. I was confused. They didn't honestly mean to tell me that they'd done it? They couldn't have left him out there! Silence fell over the room again, except Dominus didn't even seem capable of understanding the calamity of what they had done. He started his speech.

"Yes, now that's something I will speak to you about later, Ms. Harkin. As of now, I have stayed to wait until you awoke due to the urgent matter of the current issues at hand." He continued talking on and on about one thing or another that Cole and I had done wrong. I think there was something about docking our pay, and other punishments in the making, but I blocked it all out. My head was swimming. They had left him. I wouldn't let the same sin pass.

I jumped to my feet, feeling vertigo hit me hard the moment I was on the move. I lurched forward, and Ulina and Cole caught me carelessly. Everyone was shouting, but at least Dominus had shut his flapping jaws for once. Once my head sat steady, and my vision cleared, I wrangled myself from their hands despite the protest and ran towards the door. Flinging it open, my heart flying, I threw my body forward. Running barefoot through the village, I tripped and stumbled a lot. I could only remember one other time I'd ran this swiftly, or rather frantically, before. And I tried to forget it.

The wind beat me back with unforgiving force. I could hear footsteps somewhere behind me, but I wouldn't stop. I don't know when I'd started to cry, but as my feet pounded against the hard earth, I could feel the droplets dripping down my chin, and flying off my cheeks. I was ten years old again, and I was running to beat life. A mission I knew I could never complete, but I kept running anyway. Cole was screaming my name, but most of it was lost in the wind. When I finally reached the locked gates, my momentum was impossible to slow in time. My body slammed into the bars, and I reached for them. There was no pain.

With an insane sort of haste, my eyes flittered about, searching the other side of the gate. That blond head of hair was nowhere to be found in the darkness of the clearing. I slid to my knees, my grip on the bars tightened as something horrible ripped out of my chest, tearing at my throat. The sob tore me apart, and I fell into a broken heap on the floor, my mind muddled. Gruesome images tortured my mind, and the pain would have been immense, I was sure. A similar moment of pure devastation came to my mind and it was as clear as if it had happened yesterday, despite the memory being seven years old. I wondered about the same questions, and more, as I had the last time. Did he wake up to experience it all? Another sob cut through me.

A hand grabbed my arm gently, and I violently threw Cole away from me. He reached for me again, and I swung at him a few times. "Zelda!" I was shaking.

"I promised!" My words were jumbled between my cries, "I promised him! I promised her!"

Somehow or another, Cole had managed to lock me in his arms. I beat wildly at his chest, attempting to free myself from another human's touch, but his imprisoning hold grew stronger. After a too-long struggle, I became limp, my face pressed into a tear-soaked shoulder.

"I promised them…"

"Zelda…"

I balled my fists into Cole's dirty shirt as another sob raked my throat.

"Zelda." He demanded my attention. I shook my head furiously, my tears streaming down my face. "Zelda! Listen to me! He's alive. We didn't leave him."

A small, hiccup-like sound left my lips, and the shock from his words nearly stopped the ongoing flow of tears. I pulled away, and found that my restraints, Cole's arms, loosened to allow me that courtesy. I wiped at the wetness on my face, giving him a hard stare, one that demanded further explanation. I think I already understood, and my anger was beginning to peak.

"We couldn't leave him. But you know Dominus' rules. He doesn't allow outsiders, unless they are here for business. We had to leave him as a show for Dominus, but Dex and Dina came to get him as soon as everyone else went back to your house." I wanted to be angry, to _stay _angry, because that was just my default emotion for anything upsetting, but I felt overwhelmed with emotions far different from anger. My brow furrowed, and for a long moment we simply stared at one another.

"That evil, we also promised to never repeat it," Cole said whole-heartedly, and I was surprised to find that his eyes glistened with unshed tears. Sometimes I forgot that I wasn't the only one to suffer.

"Thank you," I should have said more, but I hoped Cole could understand how much gratitude went into those two simplistic words. He nodded, and something told me he did understand.

"Come on," he said as he got to his feet, brushing off his pants, "Let's go back to your house. We'll put on a little show. Once Dominus leaves after getting his fill of words in," He scowled, holding a hand out for me to take as he continued, "you can go to Dex and Dina's to see your sleeping prince." I glowered, disliking his nickname for the unconscious man, but took his hand nevertheless.

"Don't call him that!" I croaked in disgust, my throat still thick with tears. Cole laughed at that.

"No need to feel embarrassed, princess."

"Shut up." I growled. One moment he was sweet and dependable; how could he be such an annoying nuisance in the next?

"Oh, princess, be careful with your step," he paused as if he was thinking about something, "You're going to be aching later, I can assure you." I ignored the look of worry. Perhaps I would have thought his concern was nice if it wasn't for his smug face afterwords, and that goddess damned nickname.

"Shut up!"

We continued babbling like normal all the way back to my house. And he was right, as usual; I was aching. Yet it was a dull, bearable thing in comparison to everything else. On the walk back, _they_ never left my mind, despite my easy bickering with Cole. I wondered if they were proud. I would like to think they were.

_Like I've always promised, I'll find a way to make it right. _

* * *

A/N: There it is! Let me know what you thought. Chapter 2 should be posted by next week at the latest. If school is good to me this week, it might get posted a few days sooner, but it all deepens on my workload. I hope you'll be looking forward to it. ;)

Reviews are love~ *Poofs into cloud of purple smoke*


	3. Chapter 2: Sleeping Prince

A/N: Hey! Back with the second installment of Memories~ I was feeling a bit iffy about this chapter, but here it is. This chapter is going to introduce a couple more OCs, and we'll get to see Zelda's sleeping prince again. ;3 Has anyone been able to guess who it is yet? *Cough* Obvious! *Cough*

Please be sure to review if you have any concerns or comments on revisions and suggestions for the story! Or even just to let me know if you're enjoying the story. ^^ (Oh, and Trevor? Be sure to check the bottom of my profile page for that AMV. ;P)

On to the chapter! Enjoy!

Rating: K+

Warning: Mild Cursing

Disclaimer: I do not own the lovely Legend of Zelda franchise, which consists of the games, characters, and settings mentioned within this fanfiction. I also do not own the lovely cover art used for this story.

* * *

**Sleeping Prince**

Back at my house, I was quick to assure all the Ordonians that filled my tiny home that I was going to be all right. They must have took notice of my obviously tear-streaked face and red eyes, because they all still seemed concerned. After I managed to shoo them out, watching them leave my walkway to hurry back to their homes, I shut the door quietly. Time to deal with the true evil. I turned on my heel to face Dominus. Having him in my house this long was leaving a pungent smell to permeate the entire space. I frowned.

Opening my mouth, I gestured a hand towards the kitchen, "Would you—"

"Skip the formalities, Ms. Harkin. You know this is not a friendly visit." If nothing else, at least he didn't force me to cater to him, the man I hated most.

I closed my mouth, clasping my hands in front of me whilst putting on an 'ah' expression, as if I wasn't feeling the urge to gag in his presence. "I suppose you should get right to it, then. The night is not young."

"Yes, thanks to you, Ms. Harkin, it is not." His face showed clear irritation. It was similar to the expression he'd held when I'd come back from having a breakdown over a death that he was responsible for. Well, hey, no one told him to hang around while I was passed out.

He cleared his throat, and took a step towards me. I forced myself not to take a step back. "Ms. Harkin, I'd just like to start by saying that I am your employer, and you should never interrupt me while speaking again. I can take away your spot in this village at any time I wish to do so. You are able to live well because of everything I've done for you. I expect you to show me the respect I deserve for handing you every opportunity you ever had in your entire life." As he talked, he started to grind his teeth into each word. I swore I could feel his spit on my face. Everything about this man was repulsive.

"My apologies." I mumbled, having nothing else to say.

"That's right. But that doesn't make up for what you have done. The real world doesn't except apologies and call it a day. You have caused mayhem in the village due to your irresponsibility and lack of ability to follow the rules. You wasted other villagers' time, and threatened Ordon by having your little friend keep those gates open. To top it all off, you decided to attempt to drag some other filthy village rat into here!"

I didn't want to appear weak in front of Dominus, but the reflexive action couldn't be held back. I couldn't help but flinch at the harsh insult he'd directed towards a man he didn't know, and it reminded me of how he saw Ordonians, as well. Just as I feared, when I met his eye, I seemed to have fed his sickening ego.

"For all the trouble you have caused, you are going to need to work overtime on the new crops. I also expect your usual amount, and I will be docking your pay by a good deal. The exact amount will be decided within the next two days. I will also put you on 'mucking' duty for the next three weeks." I had to keep my cool so the dismay wouldn't show on my face. 'Mucking' is what the villagers often called the job stationed out in the forest that was meant for a person to spend hours gathering the nutrition, but utterly foul, muddy soil that's found in the darkest parts of Faron Forest. It was by far one of the worst jobs, especially for people with memories of the horrors…

I wished to protest; because that was a lot of laborious work for even the pay I was getting now, but of course, I had no say in this matter either way. I nodded after a long silent moment, and he seemed disappointed by my lack of response.

"Let your friend know that I will be speaking to him, as well!" He spat, before leaning towards my ear. I refrained from shuddering in revulsion. The next words he whispered made my heart grow cold, but my anger ignite as quickly as a field fire, "Remember, Zelda. If you cause trouble, I can give you the same punishment as them. They deserved it. Don't put yourself there, too."

My eyes rose to meet his with a fierce glare. If I could rip his throat out now, I wouldn't hold back. I suppose I should be glad I couldn't do such a thing; otherwise I'd be on the same level as him and those demons that lurked in the night. To further the queasiness my belly, he seemed to find a sick satisfaction in my anger.

"Good night, Ms. Harkin. I shall expect to see you bright and early tomorrow." After he left, I felt the need for a hot bath. One with lots of soap and scrubbing. Perhaps my living room needed a good clean, too.

I actually did make sure to take a bath. It had been a long, strenuous day, and I felt downright filthy. I made it short, though, because I had somewhere to be before the end of the night. As I dried off and began to dress myself in a simple white dress, I began to notice all the bumps and bruises. My feet had been scraped up on my little nightly adventure through the village, bruises covered my sides, arms and left shoulder, and my entire body ached. To top it off, I had a pretty little scrap traveling down from my temple to my cheekbone. I groaned slightly, moving slowly out of my bedroom. I pushed the curtains in the doorway to the side, and turned to slip on my boots which someone had placed neatly next to the front door. I'd have to thank Ulina later for that.

Outside, the air was cool, which now felt nice against my flushed skin as I began the trek across to the other side of the village to Dex and Dina's house. It wasn't far; just over the bridge and a couple houses towards Rada's ranch. As I looked up at the sky, seeing all the stars twinkle as if winking at me, a melancholy smile lifted my lips. So beautiful, yet brings so much evil.

Dex answered the door immediately. I'd barely knocked before the wooden entrance was opened wide into a warmly lit home. The twins' house was small and cozy, and from the threshold one could see everything the building had to offer. From my vantage point, I could see Dina at the back of the house, sitting by the beds, as she tended to whoever lay under the heavy wool blanket. I shot Dex a grateful look, and he held his arms wide for a bear hug. He knew I was uncomfortable with the touchy-feeling sort of acts, but always insisted on it anyway. Reluctantly, but for once not so completely unwilling for human comfort, I stepped into his broad chest and wrapped my arms around him. In turn his arms squished me against himself with three times the force, and I whizzed. He must have been worried. Normally he only uses half his strength.

"Zelda, what kind of trouble have you been getting into this time around?" He murmured, and Dina finally looked up when I sucked in a breath, thankfully catching my pain-stricken face.

"Dex! You're killing her!" She stood swiftly from her stool and dashed towards the entrance, shutting the door firmly before prying her brother off me. It was now that they both seemed to take notice of my bruises, and Dina tentatively grabbed my arm in her hands, horror clear in her expression. "Oh, for the love of all that Farore has created! Look at you." She gaped, releasing my arm to lightly touch my burning cheek. Dex seemed to be in his own moment of shame, and was giving me what I liked to call his puppy eyes. I guess he hadn't thought his hugs would hurt more than usual. "You poor child." Dina continued to fuss, insisting that I sit down while she looked over my injuries.

The ginger twins were about five years old than me, but they acted like those years were quadrupled. Sometimes I wondered if they'd forgotten that I'd grown up, and they no longer needed to pamper and tend to me like I was still that helpless little girl.

"Dina," she continued to fret, "Dina. I'm _fine_. No broken bones, nothing serious. Nothing a little time won't fix." She bit down on her lip, realizing she was doing what I had told her just about a thousand times not to do. I smiled, hoping to mend things, and then worked myself up to ask, "So, how's your ward?"

"You mean _your_ ward," her smile was gentle, proud, "You did a good thing out there. Even if the others seem distraught with you right now. You did a good thing." I felt grumpy due to the fact that Dina always seemed to give me that warm, fuzzy feeling that I tried so hard to avoid. She motioned towards the back, allowing me access into the part of the house that was their bedroom. I followed the line of her arm, heading over to the beds. On my left was Dina's bed that always looked soft and neat, perfect to jump into and snuggle up. On my right was Dex's bed, and it was occupied by a body, which had been tightly bundled. I sat down on Dina's stool, and his face came into my line of vision. A tangle of blonde lay around his head like some parody of the halo, his bangs having been pushed back by a moist cloth.

A small, earnest smile lifted the corners of my lips as I watched his face. I couldn't explain the immense expanse of emotions it brought up seeing him alive, when I thought he had been gone without hope an hour ago. He seemed in complete peace at the moment. Oh the wonders of Dina's hands. My palms pressed against the stool, they kept me sturdy as I leaned forward, whispering, "We made it." At that moment, Dina wandered up behind me while Dex was making noise in the kitchen.

"I think he knew his savior was coming to get him." I looked up at her in surprise, curious as to what she meant by that statement, and more than a bit embarrassed. She smiled at my obviousness, "When we got him here, he was breaking out with a fever. His face kept getting all scrunched up, like this," she made a silly demonstration with her own exaggerated expression, "and it seemed to me like he was having nightmares, or something. I tried everything I could. Dex left his clothes out to dry while I got him all bundled up. Brought the fever down some, got something warm in his stomach. Even managed to get some water in, too. But he hasn't shown signs of consciousness, and he keeps looking like he ate something of the terrible kind. Sort of like he might be in pain, or scared. Whatever it may be, it hasn't stopped until just a bit ago. And then you showed up."

I pursed my lips, unsure how to feel about this. Something wasn't right. I could feel it in my gut.

"Mind telling me what happened?" She asked, pulling up another chair to go back to messing with the cloth, and dabbing at his face. My silence encouraged her to keep talking, "I haven't seen you since early this morning. Heard you went out to work the other fields, or were at Rada's, or something. Then you don't show up at all until well after dark, coming here hauling this guy unconscious." Her russet eyebrows rose high on her forehead, and she glanced at me.

"I went down to the Travelling Market." I said, and she nodded in her way of pushing me to keep going, "Went down to buy a book like always. Which I now lost." My voice grew remorseful, just now remembering my beloved leather-bound beauty. She patted my knee in comfort, "I was on my way back when I found him floating in the spring. I don't know how he got there, but he managed somehow, because he was already out before I could get to him. I did what Dr. Shaddo had taught us. That was pretty much it. I couldn't leave him out there, so I tried to drag him back to Ordon with me." I didn't know what to make of Dina's expression. She seemed to be in awe. It's not like I did something remarkable. I just did what any other good Ordonian would have done. The silence and her ogling began to make me feel uncomfortable, and I decided that for once I would keep talking.

"By the way, you think we could try to sneak him a visit with the doctor?" Her face fell, I wasn't sure why.

"Zelda…don't you remember? Dr. Shaddo went on that business trip to Castle Town less than a couple days ago. He won't be back for at least two weeks. He could be gone as long as a month, depending on how many stops have to be made." Now it was time for my face to fall. How could I have forgotten something so crucial?

"What are we going to do?" I asked, and I suppose something in my voice triggered her motherly instincts again, because she leaned forward and rubbed my uninjured cheek gently.

"It's going to okay, hun. Just keep a close eye on him, is all. He hasn't shown symptoms of anything more severe. So long as he gets a bit better, he should wake up soon. Then we can find out where he's from, perhaps get the necessary arrangements for him to see a doctor in one of the closer villages. It'll be all right."

"You make it sound easy," I mumbled, my eyes downcast.

"Hun…Zelda, I'm going to have to make this a bit harder." I met her eye quickly, shocked, not understanding. She sighed, "You know me and Dex are struggling right now to even keep ourselves floating. Our house is so small, and…" she drifted, staring off to the side as she thought up more excuses, "I just don't think it would be possible to take care of him here."

"You want me to take him to my house." I stated bluntly. She seemed startled by my abruptness, and also guilty. I sighed in exasperation, cutting off any of her next words, "Save it. It's fine. I understand. If Dominus finds out, he'll feed you to the dogs," quite literally, "and I was the one who found him. He's my responsibility anyhow." Her smile was glum as she nodded in agreement.

"I keep forgetting how mature you've become, Zelda." I sighed, nodding wearily.

"Anyone in the mood for some chow?" Dex said, his voice too cheery as he sat plates down on the small table.

"Come on. We'll talk about what we can do while we eat." She smiled with some kind of warm reassurance. I always wondered where she got that ability. You know, the one where she could tap into an endless bank of positivity, and project it on everyone else.

Nevertheless, I agreed to eat. Dex wouldn't let me leave without doing so anyway. Besides, it was relaxing, and I couldn't deny my utterly empty belly a warm meal. We did as Dina had said, and it was decided. Tonight, now that it was certain that Dominus was long gone, we would sneak the man back to my house. Dex would set him up in my empty cot, and Dina would pack together some things for me to bring home. She would help me get him, and anything else settled, and then we could all call it a night. I had an early morning tomorrow, but I made sure not to mention that to them. It would only complicate things.

"You know, I wonder if moving him around so much is making him as tired as we are," Dina stated quietly in a matter-of-factly tone as we walked. Dex was strolling up ahead of us, carrying the blonde bridal style, a bounce in his step like usual. I remembered how heavy he had been, and how excruciatingly tiresome it was to drag him through the forest. My eyes narrowed in on Dex's easy strut.

"What…should I say when he wakes up?" Dina seemed caught off guard, and my eyes moved down to watch the stream through the cracks in the bridge beneath us.

"Mmm," I waited for her to speak, "that's a tough one. He's bound to be confused. I suppose you'll just tell him what you know. That you found him, and saved his life." In unison, we met each other's eyes. She smiled warmly, and I pursed my lips. Shaking my head, I went back to staring at the ground as we stepped off the bridge. She bumped shoulders with me lightly, and we fell into silence.

"Set him down on the cot, Dex," Dina said, motioning to the said cot with her free hand as she left her basket down on the table.

"Why? There's still a free bed in Zelda's room. We can't put him there?" Dina shot a glance at me, which I tried to ignore. I bit my lips, a scowl turning my expression sour as I sat the second basket down next to the other and moved to the sink. Grabbing a blue cup out of the three small ceramic cups there, I turned on the water, and allowed the cup to fill to the brim.

"No. Just put him on the cot." I was sure Dina had shown him a terrible face. I didn't like for her to do that all the time; worrying over my feelings. It only made things worse. I took one sip before dumping the glass into the sink, and placed it back next to the other cups once more.

"Okay, I just thought—"

"It's fine, Dex. Thanks for everything," I smiled genuinely, and he returned it after a moment. I knew Dina was watching me, but my eyes didn't stray as I watched Dex place the man's body down onto the bed. For the first time the bed looked surprisingly small. Never had I seen a grown man lay in it. I let my gaze fall to the floor.

"Zel—"

"Again, thanks for everything!" I was quick to cut her off. I glanced at them both, "Without you both, he would have died out there." It was hilarious to me, how at times such as this the twins' faces truly looked identical. They both had the same exact expressions that said they wanted to say something, possibly to say the same things, so I was quick to stop them, "Listen, I have an early morning ahead of me, and I'm downright tired. I can finish getting him settled," I gestured towards the unconscious man, "and then I'm just going to head to bed. I'll come see you after work, I promise." I smiled despite their faces, which had long fallen and failed to get back up.

"All right, babe. Don't worry about it." Dex smiled slightly, and came over to give me a less crushing hug. I only whizzed in pain for a second. Then he released me.

"Get some sleep, hun. Don't worry about a thing." I loved the fact that they were so similar. Even now, it still brought a smile to my face. Dina came to me, patting my hair before wrapping her arms around me. I was physically able to return this hug.

I waited for a bit at the entrance, leaning on the door as I watched the backs of the twins heading down the path. Once they disappeared on the other side of the river that cut through Ordon, and were no longer visible, I turned and shut the door quietly. At times like this, I would normally think, 'it's quiet.' But the usual silence that came with the departure of visitor never appeared. I suppose it was because I still had a guest. My eyes slowly looked over at the blonde, his light breathing loud in my normally lonely house.

"Just you and me, huh?" I whispered, stepping over to the cot. I pulled up the creaky chair, and took a seat. Staring at his chest, which was covered by the thin white material of Dex's shirt that was far too big for the smaller man, I realized I would have to get the man's clothes for their house sometime tomorrow. For now, he should at least stay warm. The blanket was a rumpled mess at the foot of the bed, and I reached down to grab it, pulling it over his body. When I reached his shoulders, I decided that I would need to get a slightly larger quilt. I'd have to get that, too, from Dina and Dex.

For a long moment, I sat staring at a loose thread in the fabric. The day's events ran through my head, as well as what was expected for tomorrow. I wasn't looking forward to it. I shifted my thoughts to the person who lay in front of me. He was real. A living, breathing human. I could barely remember the last time I went to bed with another person close. To have someone else in the house at night, to not be alone, I didn't remember that comfort too well. It felt oddly strange.

I brought my eyes to his face, taking a good moment to study it. Before I had spent only mere seconds to glance over his features, but now I had all the time to stop and really look. His hair was dirty, but it wasn't hard to tell that locks were normally this messy. No sort of occurrence could ever create such a fluffy disarray without a little help beforehand. As my gaze traveled down his lightly tanned face, I noticed his bright eyelashes which fluttered slightly with every movement from behind his lids. They were long for a male, which surprised me. His nose was strong, but petite in a strangely feminine way. His jaw line was probably the most masculine quality to his face. To say he was handsome was about right, but _beautiful_ seemed even better. And with this revelation, I realized 'man' didn't fit his description. Rather, _boy_ was a much more appropriate term. He couldn't be more than a couple years older than me. It made me wonder if he had family out there, worrying about him.

I ignored the ache that settled in my chest, and continued my ogling. My eyes zeroed in on the side of his face, where something glinted strangely. Pushing hair away, I got a good look at his silver cuff earring, along with the rest of his ear. It was elongated, and pointed at the end. I swallowed hard, lifting my other hand to run around the rim of my own elfin ear, stopping at the point. My brow furrowed, my face falling.

"You're a long way from home, my friend."

Just like 'man,' 'human' was not an appropriate term, either. Hylian was what he was. And that made me worry all the more.

"What are you doing, all the way out here?" I asked in a hushed tone, my throat raspy with unshed tears, "You're family must be so scared." My voice cracked on that last word, and a few tears slipped down my cheeks. Goddess damn, why must I be so emotional lately? I whipped my hand away from the boy's face, rubbing at my cheeks and eyes roughly.

I stood abruptly, the creaky chair doing what it did best: creaking. I sighed at the grating noise, and stepped away from the cot. I needed sleep. That was all. Padding over to entrance of my bedroom, I ducked through the curtains, and passed the empty bed without a glance, heading to mine at the wall opposite the entrance. As I plopped down onto the unmade sheets, I let my body slump down. My head hit the pillow, and I hugged my knees to my chest. For a long while, I stared at the other bed, thinking of many things all at once. I didn't notice the time when my eyes slipped shut, and my consciousness faded.

* * *

A/N: Love it? Hate it? Let me know!

This chapter was a bit slow, with not as much action, but that should hopefully pick up soon! Just as soon as the plot starts rolling. Make sure to favorite, follow, and/or review. :D

*Poofs into purple smoke*


	4. Chapter 3: A Lullaby Unforgotten

A/N: Hi there! Glad to see you've returned for the third chapter of Memories. ;P Really quick I'd liked to thank everyone for all the reviews. They really motivate me, and I think about each of them while writing. ^^

Speaking of, I know one of my lovely reviewers mentioned fleshing out the characters more, so I have a question: do you all, my readers, wish to see more of the OCs? I know many have been mentioned, but not introduced. At this point in the story, I'm getting to the point where my plot is not strictly structured, so events can be shifted around if you wish to see more of something. Please, leave me a review with your opinions. :)

Onward! To the story!

Rating: K+

Warning: Mild Cursing

Disclaimer: I do not own the lovely Legend of Zelda franchise, which consists of the games, characters, and settings mentioned within this fanfiction.

* * *

**A Lullaby Unforgotten**

The sun beat down on me with a relentless fever. I wiped the sweat from my brow as I fully emerged from the corn stocks that had shielded me some from the sun's vengeful glare. As I shaded my eyes with a hand, I turned my face towards the sky in attempt to return the glare with a dirty look of my own.

"Have I ever told you that you look like something terrible after a hard day's work?" My eyes narrowed at the sound of Cole's voice, but I continued to leer at the sky.

"Yup, and you know you're like a slab of sweaty, foul-smelling _sunshine_," I said sourly, distaste clear in my expression as I moved to stare at the ground. My vision was dotted with colorful splashes, and I had to let it adjust.

"Thank you! That's so sweet, coming from you, princess. I take pride in my manly odor. I'm glad you noticed it." The spots had nearly vanished, and I glanced over at Cole, who stood a few feet behind me, leaning an elbow on the handle of his pitchfork. My eyes swept over his lean, but slender frame. "Manly" in Ordon standards was far too high for Cole to achieve. I snorted, and his expression became skewed.

"You're not so womanly, yourself." He grumbled, standing straight as he flipped the pitchfork around. I messed with my ponytail, tightening it as I strolled towards the bridge. Cole caught up and fell into pace beside me.

"I don't need to be. Life isn't really about 'filling the role' anymore. I have to eat, right?"

"Yeah, well…you'd think with looks like yours that you'd at least try to be a girl, sometimes." He huffed in irritation, seeming not to realize that he contradicted not only his previous statement, but many other times in the past when he'd taken it upon himself to remind me of how ugly I am. I decided to mess with him in my own way.

"Oh, so you're saying I'm so disgusting to look at that I need to act like a 'woman,'" I made sure to physically make the quotation for that one, "just to make up for my lack of beauty?" I was satisfied when his face shifted into a hybrid between horror and awe.

"No," he said abruptly, "I mean you're too beautiful to act like a man all the time. It's a waste." I burst out laughing, a cruel sort of chuckle. Just the answer I knew he'd give. He realized my dirty little trick, and appeared mortified.

"Well, sorry that I'm not popping out babies left and right, like every good woman should," my tone was condescending, but I didn't care. Cole should be used to this by now. I shifted my gaze to his face, to find it slowly turning a deep shade, much darker than the rest of his lightly tanned skin. Whether it was due to anger, or just embarrassment, I didn't know. But it was quite the amusing sight. "Oh, speaking of popping babies. How's your sister doing?" On this question, Cole's face darkened. He seemed tired, and perhaps a bit exasperated.

"Belle is driving everyone nuts. She's expected to deliver in about a week, and now she's become a tyrant, rather than a pregnant woman. " I laughed, motioning with my hand for him to keep it coming. Once he got started on his little rant, I wouldn't have to do much prompting. It really didn't take much. He sighed, and continued, "She's just so…ugh! I thought the morning sickness and raging hormonal fits were bad. Now every little thing sets her off. She's constantly worrying over the baby, and is paranoid because the Doc still isn't back from that trip. I think what's really driving all this is that Cal isn't back, you know? I mean, he's the father, and because he has to make money, he isn't even going to see the baby. She kept saying for the past months that it was fine, and that she understood, but we all knew it was eating at her."

Up until the mention of Cal, I had just nodded, but slowly my mood turned sour, even more so than Cole's. It irked me that Dominus was even breaking apart a family this way. He'd known full well that Belle would be having the baby, and yet he sent Cal on that goddess damned trip. He could have sent anyway, even me. I actually considered asking Dominus to allow me, but Dex had ended up going instead. I refrained from rolling my eyes at the memory. Dex and Dina had been all huffy when I told them my proposition. Apparently it was too dangerous for little babe Zellie, who'd never been outside of Faron. Either way, it would have ended the same. Dominus insisted with a passion that the only one who would take the job was Cal, and nothing would change his mind. Now Cal wouldn't even be able to see his newborn baby. I glowered at the rushing water of the stream, and Cole seemed to notice my soured mood.

"But you know, he'll be back in a few weeks!" He said hastily, "The baby won't even remember it, so it's not all bad…" I decided not to comment on that, because anything I said would only make both of us feel worse. We walked in an uncomfortable, tense silence for a good deal of time, and as I stared off into space, my thoughts went back to the same thing: reflecting on the past few weeks. I'd been thinking about the same things over and over again, and it haunted me even in sleep. Whenever I let my mind wander, it would always come full circle back to the same things.

It had been almost three weeks since that night that I brought the unconscious boy to my house. I had been taking care of him since, but at least one villager had stopped by almost every morning to check on him, as if I couldn't take care of another human being. I had taken care of myself just fine for the past seven years, so I think I could handle one unconscious person. But apparently, since I never did well in Dr. Shaddo's classes, nobody trusted me with the sick. Dina had insisted that she come by over couple of days to give him a cloth bath. I held back a sarcastic snort at the thought; the same one I had held back each and every time I thought about her and those bathes.

To everyone else, the past couple weeks had been uneventful, besides a raging pregnant tyrant, and an unconscious boy staying in a young girl's home. For me, the young girl, life has been a bit frustrating to say the least. I suppose one good turn of events happened; Cole had gone to Dominus after hearing whispers about my punishment, and begged for him to place the burden of muckin' onto his shoulders. Begging didn't sit well in my head, and I couldn't exactly imagine Cole didn't anything of the sort for me, but somehow he'd managed to convince Dominus. I was touched, a bit irritated, but mostly touched. I would never, ever tell him this, though.

Other than that, everything had gone downhill. I still had all the extra work, despite my pay being cut in half. I spent exhausting days out in the heat, rolling back in far after dinner hours to take a bath, fret over a boy that, in all honesty, I didn't really know what to do with, before plopping into bed to get four hours of sleep. Then I'd wake up before the crack of dawn to repeat the process. And, just because the goddesses hated me so much, we had not received cool early autumn days like we always had before. The past couple weeks had been filled with heat equivalent to that of summer, and nights were frigid and chilly. Not a good time when you work out in that heat, and sleep with one measly blanket because you're trying to keep a sick boy in your living room from freezing to death. Oh, and I'm sure it's already obvious that the said Hylian boy in my living room was still unconscious, and had shown no signs of waking. That little fact left me gnawing on my bottom lip every night before I passed out. I swear there was a permanent indent now.

Even if I didn't show it, I was extremely worried for the boy. I feared for the worst, and constantly wondered if he'd ever wake up. I denied having such thoughts to everyone, but I think they saw through me. I just wanted to have Dr. Shaddo see him as soon as possible, but he was already a week late for his arrival back to Ordon, and we could only hope he'd be back in a week's time. I couldn't blame Belle for being paranoid, what with me chewing off my lip over the anxiety his absence was causing. She had a baby that was more than ready to show face to the world, and I had an unconscious boy who wasn't waking up while at the same time showing little to no abnormal signs. And the only one who could help both of us could be a week's trip from Faron.

Oh, and did I mention the dreams? They had been plaguing my sleep every night since I found the boy, making my four hours of sleep often restless. Worst part: they weren't all nightmares.

"Zelda?" I looked up in surprise. I'd forgotten Cole was next to me.

"Huh?" I mumbled, confused as to why he was giving me that look. You know, the skeptical one that made you think that perhaps you were as crazy as everyone thought you were.

"I asked you a question."

"Did you, now?" I remarked, felling back into my usual condescending tone of voice, "Well, Cole, would mind repeating it? I can't always be hanging on your every word." He rolled his eyes and shifted his gaze ahead of us, down the path we walked on, leading through the village. He seemed to become uncomfortable, which made me worry as to what his question had been. I regretted telling him to repeat it.

"Zel." He paused and my dread multiplied. It was never good when my nickname was combined with a follow-up pause. Never good.

"Spit it out," I griped, exasperated.

"I was just…going to ask how you're sleeping prince was?" I inhaled slowly, exhaling just as softly. Not nearly as bad as I'd expected, but bad enough. The villagers had learned in the past two weeks not to directly address me about my "sleeping prince." It had sort of become a taboo, because despite how I wished it not to be, my feelings were obvious on this subject.

I was silent for a long moment. I wasn't as bothered by the stupid nickname anymore. Some called him that, while many of the other villagers called him "sleeping beauty," all because of his looks. Olivia, one of the other Ordonian teens, joked around about me giving him a kiss to wake him. I had promptly told her that she should stick her head in more educational books, rather than her silly fairytales. She hadn't liked that comment very much. Maybe it would teach her to speak more respectfully to her seniors. Not like I was much better, though.

"I take it that there's no good news?" Cole asked hesitantly after my long silence, and I looked up at him, my expression carefully composed and blank.

"He's the same as the day I brought him. He barely even moves a muscle. The most reaction I've seen…" I trailed off, wishing not to discuss the boy's fits. The only reasonable explanation was nightmares, and if I was him, I wouldn't want anyone blabbing about such matters to others. And, honestly, there was my side to that little story that I rather not have other people knowing.

"Is what?" Cole asked, attempting to encourage me to say more. I shook my head.

"Nothing, it's just been nothing. There isn't really much of a fever, either."

"Dr. Shaddo will be back in less than a week, I'm sure. He'll see him then." I only nodded slightly, and we fell into silence once more. It was a less tense silence, but I could still tell that everything was eating at Cole just as much as it was eating away at me. Finally, we arrived at my destination: the barn.

"I'm heading up to Rada's," Cole said, seeming somewhat normal again, "See you later, princess." I rolled my eyes, and waved a dismissive hand before heading up the stone pathway.

Inside, I took a deep breath. The pleasant and foul smells of the barn mixed together to make something familiar, and I sighed in relief, as if it had been the first breath I'd taken in the past three weeks. Malina had been taking care of Baily for me all this time, since I lost any time to do so myself. I would have to thank her later. For now, I was just content to finally be able to take care of my steed on my own.

Baily sensed my presence before I could even make my way down the hall to his stall, and he started making a fuss, all his noise causing the other horses to become anxious. I hurried to his stall, and he quieted some. I reached out, resting my hand on his velvety nose, and he grew silent. I smiled softly.

"You're such a baby, you know that?" He pushed my hand away in a fit, emphasizing my words as he breathed heavily. "And you're too easy to anger." I teased, patting his snout while I shook my head. Resting my forearm across the top of the door, I placed my chin on my arm, stroking Baily while we watched each other. His hooves clopped against the barn floor as he took a step forward, pushing his snout into my hair. My arm fell to dangle in the stall, and I just let him play with my messy bangs. He knew something was up, but I wasn't quite ready to tell him.

"Come on, I need to brush you properly. Malina's good, but she doesn't know how you like it." I grinned when he made a noise that I took as agreement. After grabbing all the necessary tools, I went back to his stall and stepped inside. For a long while, I was quiet. As I brushed Baily's dark coat and mane, I felt every muscle in my own body relax, almost as much as Baily's did. I hadn't even realized the extent of the past weeks stress until now. With Baily, I found some peace.

"Where shall I begin?" I finally spoke, and took another moment to collect my thoughts, "I found a boy. Out there, in the woods." Baily's ears seemed to prick, as if he was really listening to every word. Sometimes I was convinced that he truly understood me. I suppose that's what kept me talking to him. "He was half-dead. I couldn't leave him. Not like them." My voice turned hard, and Baily's posture turned slightly rigid. I patted his side softly, trying to keep my tone gentle, "I brought him back, but he hasn't woken up. And Malina's father hasn't come back yet, so I don't know what's wrong with him. " I trailed off after that. Once I was done, I put the brush and everything else back, grabbing a small carrot as a treat. Watching Baily gobble it up, I grinned.

"When the next batch of apples comes in, I'll be sure to save you one." My beautiful black and white stud whinnied in agreement, and pressed his velvet snout into my open palm. "So I hear you got a girlfriend. I'll be sure to take a look before I head out. Not just anyone can have my Baily." His eyes rolled to look up at me, as if to say 'oh, please.' I grinned wider. And after a little longer of time spent talking nonsense with my boy, I did just as I said. I knew the new horse was kept at the far end of the barn, away from the other horses. Malina and Cole had mentioned her briefly. Apparently Jos had been out looking at the last of the Traveling Market's open stalls before they were to pack up, and found this mare. From what I hear, she'd come charging down from Hyrule Field, running a rampage through the market. It had taken Jos and a few other salesman, as well as a few other Ordonian men, to get her settled enough just to get her to Ordon.

From what Malina had gossiped, she was a feisty one; unrelenting and tough to control. Apparently she was wild around men, and not much better around most of the women. Malina had been the only one able to keep her calm, and so they put her in what I liked to call the "isolation stall." Dominus has been debating about keeping her, simply because she'd be worth a lot if they could tame her. I strolled down the hall, turning the corner to the isolation stall, the disgust on my face surely reflecting my thoughts. Malina said she really was a good horse when she was calm, but she hoped that Dominus would release her. I could imagine why. If her description was accurate, the poor mare wouldn't have a fun life ahead of her.

To make matters worse, it seemed my boy had developed some sort of infatuation with the girl, another reason they had moved her so far to the back. We all knew how that would end. After all, Dominus would never allow my Baily to breed with the mare. I ground my teeth, approaching the stall. Through the bars, I could see the backside of the horse inside. As I stepped closer, the mare twisted her head to face me, nostrils flaring.

"Oh, you are really something." I mumbled, crossing my arms. My eyes glazed over the little temporary nametag beside the stall door. "Epona," I read aloud. I chuckled, "Reminds me of a song. I don't remember how it goes, though." My calm words seemed to make the horse more agitated, and she stomped. "If you're going to throw a fit, save it. I'm not afraid of you," I said with confidence, staring her down before adding, "Nor do I plan on hurting you." Her eyes still seemed wide. Too wide. I tried to remember the song that her name reminded me of. I believe it was a tune that one of those whistling plants made. I began to hum a few tunes, but none of them seemed to fit.

I didn't stay long after that. Epona didn't seem all that comfortable in my presence, and I wasn't about to push her. I gotten done with my work earlier that day, which was the only reason I had been able to go visit Baily. In fact, now that the new crops had been harvested a couple days ago, work would be much slower for the next few days at least. Which meant I could catch up on some much needed sleep. I thought about just this on my way back home. By the time I'd stepped through my door, it was past sundown, and the air was turning chilly. Kicking off my boots at the door, I lazily dragged my body over to the chiller, which held a somewhat fresh jug of goat's milk. Rada had brought it over two days ago, but I had yet to open it. I removed it now, setting the cool glass container out on the table to warm for a bit while I went back to the counter to cut some potatoes. I let them simmer in some older broth I'd had sitting in the chiller for a few days. I used the last of the vegetables that Dina had given me, and while the soup simmered, I stared sadly into my empty cabinets. I would have to make a stop at Sal's store tomorrow. Luckily enough, I still had a few rupees left over after my visit to the Travelling Market.

At the reminder of that night, I glanced over at my small bookshelf, spotting the leather-bound beauty lying on the top. It was collecting dust, because I hadn't had time to open it since the day Jos found it for me a couple weeks ago. I sighed sadly, knowing even tonight I wouldn't bother skimming it. I was far too tired, and had other things to attend to. My gaze slid to stare at the blonde sleeping soundly in the cot on the other side of the room. The soup began to simmer over, and I padded over to turn off the stove, stirring the steaming mixture gently. After pouring myself a small bowl, and a cup of milk, I took to my dinner quietly. Bread would have been nice, so I decided to buy myself some of that tomorrow.

Once I was done, I rinsed and dried the dishes. I poured a small bowl of broth before putting the rest away, and made my way to my "sleeping prince." He needed to eat, too. At first, when Dina had shown me how to feed the unconscious boy, it had been an awkward and long process. For many of his meals, she'd had to come and assist me. By now I'd gotten used to it, though.

I went through the usual routine of rolling up a couple blankets, using them to prop up his head. Once I was able to get him into a nearly seated position I reached down to grab the bowl of broth. I scooted my chair closer to the cot, placing the bowl in my lap. Just as I'd done the night I'd found him, I cupped his chin, pressing my thumb to his bottom lip to open his mouth. Between each small spoonful of broth, I would rub his throat and use a few other techniques to get his reflexive swallowing to do the rest of the work. It took some time to feed him one meal, but it was worth it, I suppose. It was much better than watching him wither away. I was happy to report that his weight had stayed relatively the same. Perhaps he looked a bit less fit, but who could stay in shape after being in bed for weeks?

After I was done, I rose from the creaky chair and went to clean the dishes. As I was doing so, I heard a small groan of sorts. My eyes widened, and I whipped around so fast that cold water from the sink splashed my shirt. The boy writhed in his spot on the bed, sweat beading along his brow. His breathing had hiked, turning irregular, and his face became contorted into a mask of pain. My brow furrowed, a frown settling on my lips. Still in shock, I placed the dripping bowl and spoon on the counter, wiped my hands on my shirt, and made my way to his side. It was happening again: his nightmares. Whatever plagued him in his sleep, they must be truly horrific if it made his unresponsive body respond physically to it. As I took my seat once more in the creaky chair, I still couldn't believe it. Everything seemed as it normally did during his episodes, but every now and then he shuddered. Before, and I know my eyes had not been mistaken, I had seen him squirming. That was the first time he'd moved that much. Not only that, but he'd made a noise; just another thing that hadn't happened before. It meant one of two things: he was going to wake up soon, or his nightmares were turning increasingly worse.

I couldn't help the sad expression that settled on my face. It was always a pitiful sight to behold, and that same feeling that had come over me in the woods three weeks ago made sure to revisit whenever I looked at his pained face. Reaching to his forehead, I gently patted his bangs, running my hand down to rub his cheek gently. Whether my gestures of comfort helped him or not, I suppose I was able to find peace in the actions for myself, as if by doing _something_ it would ease both our pain. This, of course, was what I wanted no other villager to know about.

"Shh," I hushed, my thumb caressing his cheekbone. I continued to comfort the boy through the event. His body shook, and whenever his brow furrowed, leaving deep creases in his forehead, I would smooth out the lines. At some point, I went to grab a damp cloth, and for a while I dabbed at his heated forehead. This went on well into the night. Normally the episode would come to an end after an hour or so, but this one was persistent. It only worried me more, leaving me restless and fidgety. Even so, I sat at his side through it like the rest of them. Finally, when the day's work began to crash down on me, and my own tired state enveloped my thoughts, I moved to sit on the floor. My cheek pressed against my forearm, which rested on the bed next to his, I watched his face skew up in pain before settling down again. This happened various times, and I resorted to patting his chest like _she_ had done for me when I was little. I patted his chest with my free hand slowly, humming the same lullaby that she had once put me to sleep with on many occasion. Behind blurry vision, I remembered her singing and humming the soft tune. She declared that it was "Zelda's Lullaby," and I told her she needed to be a bit more original. I was happy, though. I remember that as clearly as the tune itself. She'd laughed, and told me that it really was the name of the song. I asked her if it was mine, then. She smiled, but never gave me an answer.

In a tired sort of memory, I think I had finally fallen asleep after it was over. I saw his face relax, and his breathing returned to normal. His face was flushed, but he no longer shook. My hand had stilled its rhythm. I don't think I ever stopped humming, but at the same time I couldn't recall the noise coming from my mouth. Perhaps it was just an echo of my own memory, singing me to sleep.

* * *

A/N: There it is! Love it? Hate it? Review and let me know! Feel free to give me your opinions.

Oh, and I hope everyone's happy to see our third recurring character so far. With any luck, I should be writing at least a few more in. There will also be many more references in the future, just like Zelda's Lullaby and Epona's Song. ;3 Also, this chapter may have felt like it's going slowly, but that is due to the fact that this is the first half of chapter 3. I found that it was becoming /way/ too long, and so I cut it into two chapters. Because of this, I should be posting chapter 4 sometime over this weekend, so look forward to it. ^.^

Until next time! *Poofs into cloud of purple smoke*


	5. Chapter 4: In Memory of the Dream

A/N: Whew! Finally got this proofread and posted! The weekend got busy for me, so this is a day late, but I made sure to get it up by tonight for sure. Thanks to everyone for the lovely reviews. You all are so wonderful! ^.^

(Ha, Trevor, you haven't seen anything yet! Wait until you read this chapter. XD) Right now Zelda's affections are more maternal than romantic, though. Her feelings will quickly start turning in that direction in the next few upcoming chapters, but it's going to be a somewhat slow-going process overall.

On to the chapter! Enjoy!

Rating: T

Warning: Mild Cursing (I think...). Lots of fluff. Sexual references/innuendos.

Disclaimer: I do not own the lovely Legend of Zelda franchise, which consists of the games, characters, and settings mentioned within this fanfiction.

* * *

**In Memory of the Dream**

"It only hurts a little," a familiar male voice spoke up quietly, pleasant to my ears. Who was it? It didn't sound anything like Cole. Certainly it didn't sound deep enough, old enough, to be any of the other men I knew. Despite my inability to place the name, something in my being already knew the person. I opened my eyes, and saw a firm, muscled chest in my viewpoint. A hand was placed gently on the toned stomach, thumb brushing a puckered scar. Was that…my hand? It seemed my actions were not my own, for some reason I couldn't place. So who was I touching so intimately without a care?

"Fool. It's still fresh." I was surprised by my voice; it sounded much the same, except my tone was all wrong. If I'd said that to Dex or Cole, I surely would have been mocking, teasing, or irritated. But my voice sounded different now. My words were spoken softly, warmly, concerned, and even…lovingly? How disturbing.

"The potion helped a lot. You've improved. They didn't even taste half as bad anymore." My vision tilted upward, and I met eyes with the lean boy. I suppose I was crouched on the ground, and it seemed like he was sitting on a tree stump in front of me. When I met his eyes, those beautifully deep blue eyes, I wished to swallow hard, and possibly suck in a breath. But I did none of those things, though a warm feeling in my belly put me on edge. Like that saying about butterflies. I felt my cheeks warm ever so slightly, and that tug in my chest increased as I studied his face. I knew this boy, but how?

"I'm glad you think so." My voice spoke up again, sounding mock-annoyed. A dazzling grin reached those shimmering eyes. The tug increased. I felt my lips pull into a genuine smile, as well. My eyes left his face, and I felt this distant feeling of reluctance as I did so. "I hate that you have these sorts of scars," I said, brushing my fingertips over it, a pang settling in place of the odd tugging. The chest in front of me jerked from a sudden intake of air, and my eyes whipped up to the boy's face again. Worry was gnawing at me.

"So it's a bit tender, is all," he muttered, refusing to meet my eye, while attempting to smile. Even when he didn't look in my direction, I could tell he was in pain. Somehow I just knew that it wasn't only the pain that hurt him. Perhaps the memory? I would never understand how I knew that, though. Suddenly, shocking myself once more, I leaned forward slowly and placed a light, lasting kiss at the edge of the puckered wound, near his navel. I felt the boy stir slightly, and took in another deep breath, but didn't shy away. When I glanced up at him one last time, pulling back, I saw his cheeks were flooded with heat. But his eyes were warm with an emotion that seemed unfamiliar, yet oddly familiar all at the same time.

"Zelda." The way he said my name caused something inside me to react, similar to that tug in my chest. Maybe I needed to see a doctor. My body was feeling a lot of weird things on the insides. It only turned for the worse when he cupped my cheeks in his hands. We sat there for a long time like that, gazing into each other's eyes. I wanted to say the moment was awkward. Because normally, when I was forced to stare at someone in silence, I started to feel disturbed within the first few second; then it would escalate into such an awkward tension that I'd feel the need to laugh. But that usual atmosphere never appeared, and for the first time it felt, dare I say it, right to sit here like this. After a moment more, I reached up and removed his hands from my face to hold them in my own. Then I pushed him back lightly, and he responded by scooting back on his little tree stump.

To my confusion and awe, I didn't even bother hesitating before I took a seat between his legs, leaning my back lightly against his chest. He wrapped his arms around my midsection, and his hair tickled my cheek as he relaxed his chin against my shoulder. To have fallen into such a comfortable position with this boy seemed ridiculous. I couldn't even place his name! This scenario was far too unrealistic, and far too intimate. And yet here I was, resting my head against him. I began to sing a tune. I didn't know it, and yet I did at the same time. It wasn't my lullaby, but was similar. Some memory told me it was called Ballad of the Goddess, even though I had never heard the name in all my seventeen years.

Abruptly, the world faded into light, and then nothingness. Before I realized what had happened, the darkness behind my lids alerted me to the fact that I'd be sleeping. My eyes slid open much slower than I'd awaken, and my vision was blurry. An emotion similar to joy wrapped around me like a warm blanket, and I knew I'd had a good dream. Only, it had already started to fade.

When my eyesight finally focused, I blinked in astonishment. I'd somehow managed to fall asleep on the cot, because I still sat in the same place as last night, hand on the boy's chest, his face in my line of vision. It was bright, sunlight warming my face and the blankets the boy was covered in. When I tried to move, I groaned in pain. My neck cracked, and my muscles felt incredibly sore. I vowed to never sleep like that again.

Slowly I made my way into a standing position. It was impossibly hard after my legs had been sprawled out like that for hours, and my back was crying. I was sluggish to stretch, taking it easy on my abused body. After taking a deep breath, I looked down at the face of the boy that slept so soundly.

"Happy?" I asked, but my tone had lost its usual edge. It sounded defeated, much to my dismay. After washing my face, I thought about taking a bath, something I hadn't had a chance to do last night. Then I realized that my ward hadn't had one in the past three days. Four days now. Dina had been busy with her own work due to the recent harvest, and she hadn't been able to come over. "You first, then me," I muttered, looking at him with apprehension. It wasn't the bathing that bothered me so much, but more of the fact that I had no idea of how to go about it. Of all the things Dina had showed me, the process to bathe an unconscious person was something she had been stubbornly against. Or rather, I think it was because he was a man that she found it so downright intolerable.

Shaking my head, I went to heat some warm water, and grab a few clean clothes. If there was soap to be involved in this, that would just have to be left out. I had no confidence in not making a terrible mess of everything as it was. After lugging a small tub of lukewarm water from the kitchen to the cot, I doused one of the clothes in the tub, before squeezing out the excess liquid. Then I paused, realizing I was missing something: the person to bathe. I looked down at the unconscious boy, and pursed my lips. Tilting my head, and squinting, the idea that this would be more difficult than I had previously thought came to mind.

"Well, have to start somewhere!" I exclaimed, standing up and ripping the covers off his body with little decency to the act. Sitting down once more, I began to pull his shirt up his chest. At some point I struggled to sit him up and remove the material completely. Somehow I managed, and let him plop back down on the pillows. Tossing the top behind me, I observed his upper body. Now I was not creeping, and I felt little need to assure myself of this fact. It was natural when you worked out in the fields to try and determine the physical ability of others. Or at least in Ordon it was. By physical appearance, it was possible to tell what they did; whether they worked the fields, in a shop, prepared harvest, or any of the other jobs. So, as I would have done with anyone, I wasted no time to analyze his physical build.

I had to say it, I was impressed. Despite the fact that he'd been unconscious, unmoving for weeks, he was still in good shape. His muscles were toned, belly taut. Strong shoulders, chest, and firm arms told me he did a lot of labor with his upper body. He could have easily worked in a farming village like Ordon, or in horse stables. Perhaps he was a stable boy in Castle Town, or lived in one of the smaller Hyrulian farm villages.

I had to stop my ogling at that point, because even though I denied my womanhood as I may, I was still a girl. Shocking, but I actually did find men and their muscles attractive. I just had enough experience with such sights and self-control not to drool over such things. Therefore, I decided not to make things awkward for myself, and moved on, about to reach for his pants. Hmm…actually, better not make this more uncomfortable than it has to be. "You can keep your pants for now," I muttered without a care, patting his shoulder as if that saved him some sort of embarrassment. And then I realized how apathetic I both felt and appeared when faced with the task removing another man's pants…maybe Cole was right. I needed to act more like a woman at times.

Shaking my head to rid myself of such thoughts, I went back for the damp cloth. I needed to hurry if I didn't want to have to warm the water again. I went about scrubbing his chest with the warm water, moving on to his sides and arms. It was a clumsy and unfamiliar job, as I wasn't used to washing anyone but myself. Washing his back had been the most difficult, once again. He kept falling down, slipping out of my grip. I was beginning to become irritated with the unconscious blonde. "Why are you such a dead-weight?" I kept muttering, along with a few other rude comments. Finally, I got to one of the easier parts: his face. I used a fresh cloth, and made sure to scrub his scalp a bit, disgruntled by the mess that was his hair.

"For the love of Nayru, I'm going to toss you into a real bath as soon as you wake up. How do you get yourself so filthy, just laying here?" I asked incredulously, in disbelief. As if he'd even answer me. I hooked my fingers under edge of his pants, about to tug them down when a knock sounded on my door.

"It's Dina."

"Oh, come in!" I called without thinking. Then I looked down at my hands hooked in the unconscious shirtless boy's pants, and realized this would look bad. If she realized I was giving him a bath, she'd be livid. But it was too late, and she had already poked her head in before I could slip my hands away. I flicked the cloth off his chest, and leaned back in my chair, looking at her with round, innocent eyes.

At first her face was filled with confusion that slowly turned to understanding. From there it twisted up in horror, and anger soon followed. She rushed inside, slamming the door and rushing over to throw a cover over the boy, her long orange ponytail jumping behind her.

"Oh my goddess, what did you see, Zelda?" She exclaimed, her face turning red. She was completely flustered, which only confused me.

"Was I not supposed to see something?" I asked with wide eyes, earnestly confused. She knew I worked with lots of other men out in the fields all the time. She proceeded to slap me upside the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" I yelled with venom. Geez, it was just a sponge bath.

"I told you I would do this!"

"But he was dirty! He needed one. I gave it to him." I frowned, not understanding her anger in the least.

"Zelda, you're making this hard."

"What? Do you really all think I'm not capable of taking care of him?" I asked, my annoyance with her and everyone else clear. I crossed my arms, "I may not have done well in Dr. Shaddo's lessons, but that doesn't mean I can't handle a few things like this. I've been doing almost everything for him, except bathing." I ground my teeth, leaning back in my creaky chair.

She sighed exaggeratedly, placing a hand to her forehead, "Zelda, that's not what this is about. You're a smart girl, but you're too naïve sometimes."

"Naïve?" I stared at her, bewildered, "You know, Dina, I can't say I understand you at the moment…that really doesn't have anything to do with me giving him a sponge bath." I raised an eyebrow just for her, skeptical.

"And there it is," she said in exasperation, "I'm trying to protect you!"

"From what?" I said, my face scrunching up in misunderstanding. A second later, it dawned on me as to what she was alluding to.

"From that!" Her random gesticulations that motioned to the blonde's body emphasized what she called "that," and my jaw dropped slightly. "I'm trying to protect your innocence! For the love of the goddesses, you're making this surprisingly hard!" I stared at her for a long moment, watching her take a few deep, hopefully calming breathes. Then I busted out laughing. I wrapped my arms around my stomach, covering my mouth with a hand in attempt to muffle the noise. I tried to stop, honestly, because Dina's face was turning redder by the second, but the whole thing was just so silly.

"Ugh!" She stomped her foot in frustration, her face as red as her hair. For her sake, I tried to rein it in. I really did. I even managed to quiet it to a few giggles, but she still seemed agitated, "Zelda, you're only seventeen, and you're a virgin! You haven't seen a man before, and I've been trying to keep it that way." Oh, this just got awkward. She knows not bring up stuff like virginity. That just wigs me out. She realized this a bit too late, but huffed. She was serious.

I sighed, feeling incredibly uncomfortable now, "Listen, Dina, I'm grateful for your concern over my eyes'…virginity," I shuddered, "but I'm not looking at him in a perverted way. He's a sick man, a person that needs to be looked after. I know how to separate that from this." I paused, glad she seemed a bit calmer now. "I learned that from you."

She sighed. "I know. Sometimes you're too good at that. But, you know, every day you're out there with the men, and I worry you'll see or hear things that aren't appropriate for your age." She stepped closer tucking a strand of my blond locks behind my ear. "I can't keep you from that, since that's your work. I thought at least I could keep you from such things here." I frowned, feeling utterly touched and unsure what to do with myself. I've never been good at expressing my feelings.

"In my defense, you haven't seen much of that, yourself," I spoke up in a lighthearted manner, grinning goofily. She gave a look, crossing her arms.

"I have an older twin brother who I've lived with, and taken care off, since a very young age. My 'eye virginity,'" I cringed, and she smiled, continuing, "as you called it, is long gone."

"And now it's awkward again." I stood up, ignoring her laughter. She caught me by the shoulder before I could turn away, resting her hand there.

"My point is, Zel, that I want you to keep that innocence until you meet a man you really care about." I smiled despite myself. Whether it was because of the idea of meeting someone like that, or just how soft and motherly she sounded right now, I didn't know. I assumed the latter. "And you know, one day, when you and that man are close enough, you will want to see—"

"Awkward again!" I interrupted her, breaking from her grip and scurrying off to the kitchen. After her fit of giggles was over, and my face was perfectly overheated, she spoke once more. I was almost tempted to stick my fingers in my ears and start shouting 'la, la, la.'

"I'll finishing bathing him. Why don't you go relax in your bedroom for a while? You look exhausted."

"I am," I said simply. She gave me a look of understanding.

"Did he have another episode again?" I nodded, reluctant to tell her everything, but decided to in the end.

"It was a lot longer than the other ones. I…stayed up to keep him calm." Her smile was small, sad almost. I was confused by the look she was staring at me with. The expression didn't make any sense, and I didn't question her. She, for once, didn't elaborate, either.

"Go take a nap. I can finish up."

I shook my head, "I need to work."

She gave me a sassy look, "Oh, please. The harvest just ended, you're current crops don't need much tending, Malina is already caring for Baily, and you've been working nonstop for the past two weeks. I think you can take a day off."

I scowled. She knew I hated when she did this. But I really hadn't gotten much sleep in the past who knows how many days, and those dreams had been ruining what I _had_ gotten. I couldn't resist the temptation of taking a day off.

"Don't let me sleep too long." I grumbled, walking over to grab my new book of the bookshelf. I dragged myself across the room to my bedroom, where I proceeded to flop down on my messy sheets. I threw the blanket over me, and snuggled down with the book. I cracked the cover open, my eyes pausing at the hylian characters that was the introduction.

_Time has a way of changing; altering depending on the person who looks at it. Is time a definable, touchable thing? Most would say no. In many legends, though, time would seem as if it is as feasible as you and me. Legends are another funny thing. Something passed down from generation to generation, true story or not. Slowly it molds itself into the culture, and becomes a lesson rather than simply a story to carry on. _

My vision blurred, and as I continued to read, I struggled to keep my eyes open. By the end of the page, hylian characters and words were swimming behind my eyelids. I dreamt of time being a feasible thing, something I could touch, feel, smell, and understand. I soon faded into deeper dreaming, and the world was just a memory.

"Time is such a fluid thing, isn't it?" I said, glancing over at my instructor, who was busying himself cleaning his spectacle. The castle's left library was quiet today, without the hustle and bustle of the attendants running to and fro. It was nice, but a bit lonely.

"Hmm, I'd say that is about right, Princess."

I sat down my copy of the Hero of Time, closing it gently. I stared at the back of my right hand, where the Triforce was embedded. The bottom left Triforce glowed faintly, telling of the powers that lived within my being. I was the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, a truly unimaginable thing to be granted with.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Princess?"

I worked myself up to the question. Asking questions such as the ones currently on my mind were looked down upon. I should know, since I've asked them a thousand times before. "I couldn't help but ponder this detail, and…well, if the Hero of Time has been reborn, does that mean that I, holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, could be simply a reincarnation of the Princess of Destiny?"

My instructor adjusted his monocle, looking up at me in surprise. His face turned sour, "Princess Zelda," he spoke sternly, with disdain, "do not ponder such pointless things. None of that matters. What matters is that, if the time comes, you know what is expected of you to do in a time of crisis. When the Hero is needed, he will come. You shall aid him. Once you've learned that, and the proper magical skills to go along with that task, you must only focus on your educational studies!"

I bit my lip, which caused his look of disapproval to darken. Releasing my lip, I chastised myself inwardly for not trying harder to break the improper habit. I couldn't help feeling slightly hurt by his words, though. There was just so much to wonder about, and so many unknowns. I wished to discover them all. I wanted to meet this Hero of Time, and speak with him. I wanted to remember what he remembered, to know if he even remembered those things. It was foolish, ridiculous desire, but…I wanted to befriend this hero. He must have so much to talk about! If I held Wisdom, surely he had some of his own to offer.

My instructor must have noticed a dreamy look in my eye, because he snapped at me, "You are only fifteen, and already you have strayed from your purpose. Stop this nonsense. After you are done with your free time, we are delving into the next section of your studies immediately." I refrained from biting my lip again, bowing my head in shame. I would need to be more composed. That was just another objective to add to my list of things to learn.

"Pick your head up and continue reading. You mustn't waste time. Time is precious. Unforgiving, really." He went back to whatever he was writing, falling silent after a short moment of grumbling beneath his breath.

I sat up straight, turning back to my book. I wanted to disagree with him, because time seemed much more complicated than that. To label it as something evil was too quick of judgment. Time had a way of bringing people together. It was the ebb and flow of the universe, and was a servant to the goddesses. Surely, it wasn't a terrible force. After all, would they link something horrible to the name of a hero? I didn't think they would.

With that thought in mind, I opened the storybook and curled my fingers gently around the edges, picking up from where I'd left off.

_The young hero took the princess into his arms, pressing his face into her hair. The Princess of Destiny returned the desperate embrace, and they clung to another. Around them, the castle walls shook uncontrollably, the ceiling raining its tyranny upon them. They barely took notice, too lost in the arms of each other. For he had travelled a long time to save her, and she ran an eternity to meet him. _

I paused, an unexplainable ache in my chest. I had read various books, fiction and nonfiction alike. Many misconceptions and uncertainties surrounded the legend, but it usually involved a similar beginning and end. The vast middle was muddled, and details fluctuated to both extremes, but I realized that in all books there were a few specific points that never strayed. The story goes that he was a forest dweller, thrown into his destiny at a young age. He met the Princess of Destiny, and was sent by her to seek out the Spiritual Stones. After opening the Door of Time with these stones, and the Ocarina of Time, with the intent of taking hold of the blade of evil's bane, the Princess was forced to run. The evil lord took over, and the hero was sent to rest in the Sacred Realm for seven years, until he was ready to wield the Master Sword. In the end, they defeated the King of Evil, and the Princess of Destiny sent the Hero of Time back to his proper era, where he warned the young Princess of what was to come. Supposedly, this is a fictional telling of the story, as it had come straight from the young Princess' mouth.

Despite no proof to this supposedly forgotten timeline, the Princess never denied her story, even in later years. This tale had been attempted to be retold by hundreds of authors, as well as the story everyone know to be true: the one where the boy warns the Princess, and the Evil King is stopped before he can wage war on Hyrule. He is punished by the sages of the Mirror of Twilight, and sent to the Twili Realm as his eternal punishment. His race suffered for his sins, and the Gerudo Desert has been barren for centuries, no sign of evil ever having made uproar again.

I had read thousands of books on those legends, and knew them inside and out. My father approved, because it was expecting that one day the hero may show himself to me, and I had to be ready. By knowing the history, I would be prepared. But my reasons were far less diplomatic and noble than that. Rather…I was intrigued by the hero and his princess, because by far, the most repeated detail throughout every retelling of the legend was their love for one another. A timeless, lasting love that had stood against time itself. Even if the ending to their story was left untied, forever shrouded in mystery, their love would always resound through history in the media of books and oral traditions. I couldn't deny the lure of such story. I feel that worst of all, I felt connected to this.

Surely, if the Hero of Time was reborn, he'd wish to find his love. Whenever I realized that I was the one in his lover's place, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Had I stolen something dear to him? After all, to think of myself, of the possibility, as his lover…well, it was ludicrous, just as my instructor had professed clearly. That dull, unexplainable ache persisted in my chest, and my gaze became downcast.

"Princess Zelda, it is time for your next lesson." I looked up in surprise, realizing that I'd been lost in thought for quite some time. Then I took a deep breath, smiled, and stood.

"Yes, let's go." I stood with as much grace as was expected, a small smile lifted upon my lips. It didn't reach my eyes, of that I was sure.

A noise became present in the back of my mind. Like a croak, or rough groan. The sound was unfitting and strange, but I barely reacted to it. For some reason, I knew it was somewhere in my head, far in the distance, and unworthy of notice.

When I awoke, my eyes stung, and my throat felt tight. It was as if I was on the verge of tears for reasons I couldn't be certain of. Those dreams; they kept doing this to me. If only I could remember them, then perhaps I would understand how to rid myself of these reveries all together.

The sound of rustling alerted my still sleepy mind, and it brought a split second of my dream back to the forefront of my thoughts. Those strange noises, I knew that they were not actually a part of my dream.

My eyes grew wide, and the silence became deafening. I made no move to get up, my body stilling with fear of the unknown. Gaze flicking about, I focused my hearing on whatever was happening inside.

A bang caused me to jump up in bed. Flinging the blanket that restrained me to the side, I hopped off the mattress and dashed out of my bedroom. I became so frantic that it took me a moment for the sight to register in my brain. I was staring at the unconscious boy. He'd fallen off the cot, his fist reaching for a hold, curled into the cover. His eyes-

He was conscious.

* * *

A/N: And that's it! Chapter 5 should be right on time this coming weekend, although after that I _may_ not be updating for a week or two. Just a heads up in case I'm not able to work much on this story.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought. I'm aware that some parts are possibly confusing due to transitions with the dreams and such, so if you have any suggestions on improving the chapter, please let me know. ^^ Looking at the first few chapters, I might extend the average length as we go, solely because I am not fitting in as much plot goodness as I'd like to. For these first chapters, I think it will be okay, but later I'll probably extend them. Otherwise, this story will be 150 chapters, or something. xD

Oh, and virtual cupcakes to whoever guessed the proper games/timelines those "dreams" are from.

All right, toodles~ *Poofs into cloud of purple smoke*


	6. Chapter 5: Blue Eyed

A/N: Meh...wasn't too satisfied with this chapter. Oh, well. I do hope you all enjoy.

Rating: K+

Warning: Mild Cursing

Disclaimer: I do not own the lovely Legend of Zelda franchise, which consists of the games, characters, and settings mentioned within this fanfiction.

* * *

**Blue Eyed**

I stood there, shell-shocked. The boy who'd slept for weeks had finally awoken. Sleeping prince had, after all this time, opened his eyes. I was frozen. Uncertainty of how to react caused me to not react at all. A small whimper of pain left his lips, followed by a groan. I was staring at his body which seemed to jerk in something close to effort or strain.

The noises were the first I'd heard of his voice. I couldn't even begin to explain what my expression looked like at this moment, but I surely could tell you his; therefore, I made a guess that mine mirrored the boy's. When my gaze finally shifted to his face, it was apparent that he was confused, startled, and more than a little bit conflicted. He appeared to be in pain, and when I met his eyes it hit me hard.

There was a wild look in that sea of confliction that his eyes held. The color of them startled me, but I couldn't place an explanation on _why_. They were a clear, beautiful blue; but that was it, just a simple, normal color. Yet they left such a deep impression on me. Something about his gaze was so…nostalgic. I swallowed hard, unable to tear my gaze from him until he did so first. And he did, his eyes squeezing shut as his face contorted and his breathing hitched. I saw the muscles in his arm strain as he tried to lift himself, and was quick to jumpstart my body again. I hurried over to his side, kneeling down next to him. His eyes flicked open once more, catching on my face. He seemed scared almost, as if he wasn't sure of what I planned to do with him. Or perhaps he was just fearful of everything unfamiliar at this time. My hands reached out for him, but stalled, fretting at the air around him. He seemed to be trying to inch away from me, his expression showing how wary and on-guard he'd suddenly become at my advances.

"Hold still," I griped, but my expression of astonishment must have diminished the harshness of my tone. I reached for his arm, feeling the muscles ripple underneath my touch, and he appeared like he wished to rip his limb from my grasp. I ignored the look, and wrapped his arm around my neck as I slipped my other arm under his shoulder blades. He seemed reluctant to work with me, but eventually gave in. It wasn't like he could fight me, and I think he realized this, too. After a minute of struggle, I managed to pull him back up onto the cot. Rather than let him sit, which he was barely capable of doing anyhow, I gently pushed him down into a laying position. He opened his mouth, as if to try to protest, but found he barely had a voice.

"Shush! Stay still. There's no way you can walk around right now," I said with a stern look. It fell as soon as I turned my back on him, and I headed over to the kitchen counter with a frantic shuffle in my step. What was I supposed to do? What should I say?

I grabbed one of the three ceramic cups by the sink—the green one— and filled it half way with water. After shutting the water off with a hesitant hand, I slowly turned back to face the boy. He had somehow managed to roll himself onto his side, and he addressed me with a cautious stare. I frowned.

"Stop giving me that look," I said icily as I made my way over to him and pulled the creaky chair up to take a seat, "I didn't do anything to you. I don't plan on doing anything, either." My hands wrapped around the cup's cool surface, my fingers intertwining with each other. I was nervous, but I wouldn't show it.

"I'm sure you're confused," I said slowly, mostly to collect my thoughts, "and there is a lot that needs to be explained. I'll get to that once you can get up and drink." His suspicious leer burned holes in my face. Well, he wasn't shy. Or very friendly for that matter. Then again, what was I expecting? For him to wake up and be all smiles, giving me hugs of gratitude and promising reward. No, and that didn't seem too pleasant, either…

So I glared back for a while, even though all I wanted to do was ogle at this boy. And I must admit with some reluctance, I did a bit of that, too. After he was done glaring at me, he raised his gaze to stare off at some spot in my little abode. For the first minute, I pretended to stare out the window above the cot, my eyes focused on nothing in particular. Cole was walking with Bonnie, chatting it up and appearing to be on their way to help with the fields. Ulina was resting by the side of the stream, watching Jos unsuccessfully reel in a fish. Olivia and few teen boys were gathered outside of her mom's shop. But I couldn't focus on the typical daily Ordon activities for long. My gaze finally shifted back to the boy's face, and he seemed to be studying my house.

At that point, I couldn't stop myself from staring. Just as I'd observed numerous times as I tended to him, I found he was quite the beautiful boy. He was handsome, even. Especially with that crease in his brow, as he insisted on glowering at my kitchen. In sleep he seemed pretty, soft, the only true imperfection being his chapped lips. Now, with his hardened stare added in, he seemed just a bit more masculine. Strange how demeanor could suddenly change the way a person looked. I heard him gulp as he tried to swallow. My nerves jumped when his eyes finally moved to stare at the cup I held, and I glanced away in a guilty manner.

Daring only to look back when his body shifted in my peripheral, I kept a close eye on him as his arms began to push his body off the cot. He shook with the effort, and I was sure he'd go tumbling down at least a couple times before he could bring himself to successfully sit up. And yet somehow he managed to surprise me by holding himself long enough to complete the task, bringing his legs off the side of the mattress. Knees touching mine, he hunched over as if trying to regain his energy. I did him a favor, and scooted back in the creaky chair to put some distance between us, only holding out the cup to the point that he could grab it. He did, after a moment of hesitation, and lifted his head simultaneously with the cup. I noticed his hand was shaking as he brought the edge to his lips.

His face told me he wished to hurl all over my floor. Ah, that first sip. You would think it would be wonderful. In reality, it was everything you _didn't_ expect. I sighed, "Slowly. You haven't really had pure water in weeks. Adjust," I said, and he looked up at me through long lashes that cast shadows over his cheekbones. The look was pained, and still very wary. As I sat there, watching him slowly finish the bit of water, I couldn't help but take notice of the dull ache in my chest. It was just another one of those unexplainable feelings that I'd been having recently. I brushed it off as a sign of my declining health. I would need to try to make an effort to eat better, and perhaps get some sleep. Maybe my physical state was the reason for all those strange dreams.

I was brought back to the present when I heard him groan softly, sighing with a slouch. "Done?" He made no move, not even to look at me, so I just reached over and snatched the light green cup from his hand. That got him to look up slightly. He seemed shocked, and perhaps a bit insulted by my rude actions, but I found it amusing more than anything. After rinsing the cup and placing it back in its rightful place, I went back to my seat in the creaky chair. Once I was close, he stared at me straight on, giving me a full view of his striking eyes. Again, I had this feeling that they were familiar, and I suddenly had a moment of déjà vu as a flashback hit me. In the image that clouded my forethoughts, I was looking into the same eyes, only the facial features slightly different. His hair was perhaps a shade or two darker. It was obvious to me that this had been from one of those goddess damned dreams, as if I had never forgotten it in the first place. But that couldn't be right. I'd had that dream before the blonde had woken. So how had I known what color his eyes were? And why had I been dreaming of him, or even a look-alike? Strange. Just as I'd thought since the night I'd found him, I knew something wasn't right. Nothing settled well in my chest.

"Ho…ow," I was brought from my thoughts when I heard him begin to speak; the noises were cracked and barely intelligible. It occurred to me that he was probably trying to ask a question, and he seemed utterly frustrated when he realized his voice was a bit too rusty at the moment to try and talk. He scowled, reaching a hand up to rub at his throat.

"Do you want to know the story?" I asked, eyebrows raised as he lifted his eyes to meet mine, "Of how you got here, I mean." After a moment, he nodded his head slowly, as if he'd forgotten the motion.

"First off, you're in Ordon village," I began, "and in my house. Three weeks ago, I found you in Faron Province, at Faron's spring." After that, I recited the story of how I found him. I told him that I was on my way back from the Travelling Market, and I gave him an expectant look, figuring he'd share a look of understanding as I could only assume this was how he'd gotten into Faron in the first place. Rather, much to my surprise, he'd only appeared confused. I shook myself from my own shock to continue the story. I'd found him in the spring, half drowned. After pulling him out, I revived him. I decided against telling him the truth: that I hadn't actually revived him, but rather I had tried to, and he'd somehow revived himself. I withheld a lot of those small, odd details, figuring it would be too much to take in. At a later time, when I felt he was stable enough, I would tell him. The rest of the story was simple and sweet; I brought him to Ordon, where another Ordonian woman took care of him. Then we transported him to my house, where I watched over him for the majority of the time.

"And that's all there is to it. You've been comatose for the past three weeks. We planned on having you see Ordon's doctor once he returned from a trip. Can you…tell me what village you're from? Now that you're up, we can try to get you back there as quietly as possible. Then you can see a doctor there, and get back to your family." My smile was small, but I could only hope it came as some comfort to him. I expected him to try to hoarsely name his home village, or wherever he'd come from, but he only met my eyes with another confused look. Then he shook his head. Wait…what did that mean? No? No to what? "Come on, if you just tell me, then I'll be able to help you get home. I can tell you don't want to be here," I said, my voice becoming exasperated with frustration.

His brow furrowed, and I gave him a look. He was struggling for something. Finally, after too many long seconds, I sighed heavily. Slumping in the creaky chair, I looked up at him through my bangs.

"I," he began, startling me with the scratchiness of his voice. He struggled to get the words out, swallowing hard, "d-don't remember."

The bowl clicked against the hard wooden surface of my table as I placed it down in front of the boy. During the time that I had slept, Dina had gone out of her way to do some shopping for me. I'd be sure to reprimand her for it later. With my newly stocked cabinets, I had managed to whip up a decent meal. It helped that Dina had left some of her famous pumpkin porridge, which I would _not_ be reprimanding her for.

After grabbing myself a plate and bowl of porridge for myself, I settled down across from the blonde, who was staring blankly at the servings. 'What? You don't remember how to eat, either?' I wanted to say, but mentally scolded myself for thinking so harshly. After all, it wasn't his fault that couldn't remember anything. That just meant that whatever happened out there before I arrived was even worse than I'd thought.

"Not hungry?" I said between mouthfuls, motioning to the food with my fork. He looked up at me with the same blank stare. I took a breath, willing myself to gain patience that I had never cared to gain before. "Taste the porridge, at least. My friend made it, not me. You'll be missing out if you don't try it, I assure you." When I received no reply, I urged one last time, "It'll be much easier going down." Finally, he seemed to cave and pick up a spoon slowly, dipping the scoop into the lumpy thickness.

As he focused on the food, I let a small smile lift my lips, putting my fork down to cradle my chin in my palm, watching him. When he leveled his eyes with mine, I pulled my lips down into a frown to hide my delight. The spoon entered his mouth, and I watched his expression with newfound intensity. My face fell when no reaction came in the first second, but then his expression seemed to change slightly. The hard line in his brow relaxed some, his entire focus seeming to have been taken away, and he swallowed with fervor before shoveling another spoonful in. I tried to contain the grin that dared to stretch my lips, and I forgot all about my food as I watched him enjoy the porridge. Perhaps he was enjoying it a bit too much.

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down or you're going to choke. Or make yourself sick. Whichever comes first," I said, unable to contain a small laugh that escaped my lips. After having to struggle to feed this boy for the past weeks, it was good to see him eating so well on his own.

"It's good," he said after swallowing, his voice matching his awed expression.

"Well, what did you think? I wasn't going to give you something horrid as your first official meal here," I said simply, picking my fork back up to stab a carrot. After his declaration of his memory loss, which had been a few hours ago, he was able to warm up his voice box enough to talk some. He still sounded terribly hoarse, but at least he could speak short sentences at a time. He also wasn't glaring at me anymore with suspicion. I think he decided that I wasn't plotting to jump him, or whatever was going on in that head of his.

When I glanced back up I caught him staring at me strangely. "What?" I accused as I chewed, forgetting my manners due to my surprise. He shook his head.

"Nothing," he mumbled before going back to eating. We ate in silence for many minutes until I mustered up to ask what I had wanted to all along.

"So…you don't remember your name?" I asked quietly, my eyes flicking from my food back to his face, and over again. His pause was much too long.

"No," was his reply. I grimaced. Would I have to call him blonde boy or sleeping beauty for the rest of the time he was here?

"Well, what should I call you then? You can pick anything you want," I paused, realizing I hadn't told him my name, "and you can call me—"

"Zelda," he spoke softly, so much so that his voice almost sounded clear, shocking the wits out of me. How did you know my name? Surely I hadn't told him.

"How…" I trailed off, suspicion lacing my tone, "How do you know my name?"

"I…I don't know. I think I heard it." He took a breath, before speaking again in a rough voice, "I feel like I heard it in a dream. It just…fit well with you." I was reminded of that night so many moons ago, when I had been dragging his unconscious body through the forest. I had told him my name then, but surely…no, it wasn't possible for him to remember such a thing. Again, I had the feeling that something was not right.

"That's odd," I said nonchalantly, pretending to brush it off as nothing, even though it now plagued my every thought, "So back to that name. What do you want me to call you?" I watched him carefully as he seemed to pause once more, as if his thoughts had taken him to another world.

"Link," he said finally, and suddenly _I_ was thrown into another world.

_"Link," I squealed._

_"Link!" My shout was horrified, his name filled with my fear._

_"Link…" I trailed off._

_"Link." His name left my lips with emotion that I couldn't easily express. _

I swallowed hard, nearly biting my tongue in my bewilderment. For a minute, it was as if I was hit with a mass of nostalgic memories, my head filled with them before disappearing back into the recesses of my mind. I couldn't even remember what I had seen. It had left just as quickly as it had come.

"Are you okay?" I jumped at the question, meeting the blonde's eyes. I think I might have been shaking.

"You look…like you've seen a monster." He remarked quietly, staring at me as if I had grown three heads.

"Oh…no, I'm fine!" I reassured a bit too shakily. I motioned to the food left on his plate, "Finish eating, I…I will put whatever you don't finish away for later." I stood, my chair squelching against the wood floor. I began to collect my own food to be put away. In my peripheral, I could see him look up at me in surprise, but I refused to look at the boy.

"What are you doing?" He spoke slowly, in utter confusion.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I just have a slight headache. I'm going to go lay down for a bit. Leave whatever you don't finish out on the counter," I spoke all too slowly, as if I was forcing myself to speak at that pace. I hoped the panic wasn't obvious in my tone. "Feel free to get more water, or use the bathroom over there," I pointed towards the bathroom door as I began to rinse the dishes in the sink, "I'll be sure to change the cot's sheets in a bit, but for now you can rest there or by the fireplace over there," in my frustration, I dropped the half-cleaned dishes into the basin, and shut the water. Then, keeping my head low, I padded back to my bedroom where I proceeded to fall onto my bed. I was sure he thought me to be crazy now.

I curled my legs up, glaring at the ceiling as I held my head in my hands, the heel of my palm rubbing harshly at my temple. What was wrong with me? Something wasn't right with my head, and it was really starting to hurt. Unshed tears stung my eyes, and I held them back as some sort of noise wished to tear through my throat. Clasping my lips tightly shut, my hands clenching tighter around my forehead, I shifted my gaze to the empty bed across from me. For a long, silent moment, all I did was glare at the primly made bed, my heart pounding harshly in my chest. Then I rolled off my bed and quietly stepped over to the other. As I curled up on my side, I buried my head into the pillow. The scent that had once lingered was long gone, but I could still remember it faintly.

I groaned, my head pounding as I sat up slowly. Glancing around myself in confusion, I realized I must have fallen asleep for a while. Sitting up straighter, I had forgotten all about Link, and threw my legs over the edge of the bed.

_Link, Link, Link._ I ignored my thoughts, and the familiarity of the name. Standing, I stumbled into the leaving room, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. When I glanced out the window, I saw it was dusk. So I'd been out for perhaps an hour. My eyes searched the area for the blonde, catching the top of his hair over the sofa in my living room. I padded past the kitchen quickly, heading over to the small living space. A fire had been lit in the small fireplace, fighting the chill of night away from the immediate area. I noticed something off in my bookcase, and realized a few books were missing. As I rounded the sofa, I spotted Link stretched out across the couch, books piled on the floor by his head. His hand dangled above the floor, arm relaxed. I found myself wondering how he could sleep. As I moved around the couch, I nearly wet myself in fright. His eyes were wide open, staring straight into the fire.

"Oh goddess!" I exclaimed, holding a hand to my chest as if to stop my pounding heart. Link's eyes came to life, flickering up at me. He seemed surprised, pushing himself up slightly. Trust me, buddy, you are not as surprised as I am.

"You're awake," he stated, and I sighed in agitation, giving him a short nod. "I put the food away, since I didn't want to wake you…" I nearly laughed at that, but refrained from actually doing so.

My eyes slipped down to stare at the…tilting my head somewhat, I caught the titles of the books. "What are you doing with history books?"

He mimicked my gaze, following it to the books before meeting my eye, "Oh, I just wanted to see something…"

"Like what?" I was flabbergasted by this behavior. Normal villagers weren't too interested in stuff like history. Link didn't seem any different, either.

He seemed embarrassed by my interrogation, and moved his gaze back to the fire. After a long moment, he spoke, "I was hoping it would trigger some sort of memories…"

I stood there in silence for a second too long, feeling shocked. Swallowing any bubbling emotions, I sighed, "Well, you're going to trigger something, that's for sure. Those are some hefty books that you picked right there. Try something a bit easier until your brain has had time to wake up, too." I shook my head before heading over to the bookshelf. Plucking a smaller book from the row, I stepped over to him and handed the colorful thing over. He stared at it for a moment, and then grabbed it tentatively.

As I began to put away the other books, he read the title aloud, "The Legends of Hyrule." It almost sounded like he'd added a question mark onto the end of his words.

"Yup. It may be a bit childish. Quite an easy, quick read, but it provides some history in there. A lot is just hidden behind fun little fairytales, is all." I paused, searching for the last book's place. Once found, I slid it carefully into the slot, "I used to read that all the time when I was younger. Had to have read it dozens of times by now." I spoke absentmindedly, before turning to face him. He was staring at the cover curiously, but I thought nothing of it. "Come on, you can read it later." I made my way over to the bathroom, opening the door, and he slowly stood to follow.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked, clearly confused by my ambiguous request.

"Why, take a bath of course! You've been filthy for too long. Sponge bathes were never enough to keep you perfectly clean." I shook my head, before motioning to the cabinets and bathtub, "There should be hot water left. You'll find soap in that cabinet, and in there is a clean towel. Knock on the door when you're done, and I'll hand you over some clean clothes. The ones you're wearing now…well, you can just toss them outside the door. I'll bring them by my friends later to clean." He stared at me with a blank expression for a long moment. Had I talked to fast? Oh well. After a bit more urging, he finally stepped into the small room and closed the door.

I rolled my eyes before heading over the kitchen. So he'd cleaned the dishes, too? Huh, maybe he could be useful around here. It made me wonder, though, how he could only remember the mundane things, but the greatest details of his life failed his memory. Shaking my head, I grabbed a small woven basket, tucked it under my arm, and padded over to the cot. While removing the sheets to be put in the basket, I heard the door click and turned to see clothes carelessly flung away, and door being shut just as soon as it had opened. I chuckled, shaking my head again as I went to collect the dirty clothes. The muffled sound of water running filled the house as I made my way to the dark living room. The area was illuminated by the small fire, and I plopped down on the couch, glancing down at the book I'd given Link.

The cover had many silhouettes on it. In the center was a dark, great beast. On the ground, appearing as an ant with as much courage as the fiercest of dragons, stood a man holding a sword. A figure, most likely a woman if the long hair that billowed off to the side was any clue, stood just behind him, as if acting as support rather than just a damsel in distress. At the very top of the cover, above the looming beast's head, was a shadowed representation of the goddesses. They looked down at the fight below, holding orbs of different hues in their hands that added the only variation of color to the cover besides yellowed-white and black. Well, there was that, and then the gold Triforce that floated beneath their feet. I suppose I could understand the picture to an extent, but there was one figure that had never ceased to confuse me. Directly below the goddesses' and their Triforce was another silhouette of a female. She, too, looked down upon the scene. In her hands was what I could only guess to be a harp, a lyre, and she wore a crown atop her head. The way she had been drawn made her out to be a goddess, but she was not Nayru, Farore, nor Din. So who was she?

I heard the door click, and figured Link was done. Quickly I placed the book back down and glanced back, only to find it was the front door that had opened. Dina walked in, closing the door quietly.

"Hey. I thought you had to work? What happened?"

"Shoot! I forgot. I fell asleep again. Work completely left my mind." I realized then that Dina didn't know about sleeping beauty. I jumped up from my seat, ready to tell her when the bathroom door opened.

A silence followed, and I watched Dina's eyes grow round.

"Zelda…um, can you come here?" Link's voice sounded nervous. I had already jump started my body, dashing around the couch, skidding to a halt by the door. It seemed Link had realized the new addition to the party seconds after he'd spoken, because now he stared straight at Dina, gaping, like a fish out of water. The silence could have killed. Then, my ears popping, a squeal echoed throughout my house. Link winced obviously.

"Oh, the boy's awake!" She said with undeniable excitement. She bounded up to him so quickly that I had no time to prepare Link. He seemed to almost instinctively recoil behind the door, but she was having none of that. Pushing the door aside, she reached for his wet face, squishing his cheeks as if to make sure he was real. She then began to pat his dripping hair, which I noted looked much cleaner now, and began rubbing his arm. Her motherly fretting, and the rushed questions that spilled out of her mouth which none of us could understand, caused Link to tense. Like a frightened little animal, he stood there, grip tightening around the towel he held around his waist. Poor guy…

I was about to tell Dina that she was giving him a heart attack when I took notice of my bathroom. My eyes rounded in horror at the site of soppy water and slick shampoo coating the floors. Gel also lined spots of the counter and cabinets, and toilet paper had been unrolled far too much, falling to the depths of the messy floor. Link was staring at me with the shared saucer eyes when I turned slowly to meet his eye.

"What…what did you do to my bathroom?" I boomed, causing even Dina to flinch as she finally realized the state of the small room. "For the love of Nayru! How did you even manage all this?" I put a hand to my face, feeling the need to smack some heads.

"Sorry…I was trying to tell you—"

"Forget it," I said with exasperation, holding up a hand to halt his words. Then I turned to Dina, "Stop touching him. He's still confused, and doesn't know who you are," I stated matter-of-factly, feeling suddenly tired, "Can you grab your brother's clean clothes so he can somehow finish his bath and get dressed? Then I'm going to need help cleaning _this_." I swished my hand around at the bathroom, refusing to look at it. She nodded, scurrying to go find clothes. I went to grab my basket, heading back towards the door to slip on my boots.

"W-where are you going?" I heard Link croak, and I looked over at him before glancing at Dina.

"Dropping laundry off at her house. I'll be back in twenty minutes, tops." I slipped my second boot on as I opened the door.

"I'll handle things here," Dina smiled, handing the male his change of clothes.

"Yup, she'll take care of everything. Don't worry, she doesn't bite." Dina giggled, and I grinned spitefully at Link, speaking just before I shut the door, "Much." I was still laughing at the memory of his expression when I made it to Dex and Dina's house. Dex was standing outside, working on one thing or another.

"I brought dirty laundry."

Dex turned to face me, taking the clothes. As he stared down at them, a look of wonder appeared, "Something happen?"

"Sleeping beauty is up." I said, mocking the nickname that Dex loved so much. He thought the smaller, younger boy was too feminine; however, everyone looked feminine next to Dex.

He seemed taken aback by this, and it took him a moment to regain a sense of composure, "Whoa, that took long enough. So he's finally up, eh?"

"Yup," I said, as if it was no big deal, "Don't let it get out to the old ladies, though. I don't feel like dealing with a bunch of visitors tonight." We both shared a small laugh, and Dex agreed. After chatting for a few minutes more, I told him that I needed to go because the blonde _beauty_ had already made a mess in the few hours that he'd been awake. After bidding me farewell with a crushing hug as usual, I took my leave. Before I even entered the house I could make out all the noises that came with Dina's usual fretting. When I stepped inside, I was surprised to find that my bathroom door was wide open, and clean, too. Dina was making something in the kitchen, and I spotted Link sitting in the living room.

"Oh, Zelda, you're back." She smiled at me over her shoulder, her orange locks slipping to her back. She pushed some behind her ear, and followed my line of vision to the bathroom.

"How did you clean up so quickly?"

"Oh, we just finished a couple minutes ago." She turned away from me to go back to what she had been doing.

"We?"

"Oh, yeah, Link helped me." I could just hear the smile in her voice. My eyes shifted to stare at that blonde head of his, but he didn't appear to have even twitched at the sound of his name. So they had become acquainted. I suppose that had been while they were busy cleaning up. I suddenly remembered the guilty look on his face from early, and felt just a bit bad for snapping. But only a bit.

"I dropped the laundry at your house. Want me to come by tomorrow to help?" I said, trying to appear as if it hadn't affected me. Dina, of course, knew better. She _always_ knew better. And the look she even turned around to give me proved it.

"Oh, of course. You don't expect me to do the laundry all alone, do you?" She said with sass. No one liked doing the laundry. I rolled my eyes and shook my head at her obvious distaste, and went to work on making up the cot with fresh sheets. After some time, Dina announced that she had to go. After thoroughly ruffling Link's hair and whispering something in his ear, startling the wits out of him, she gave me the same goodbye before bidding us a goodnight.

I yawned, still feeling tired after weeks without proper sleep, and plopped down on the couch next to Link. He was reading the book I'd given him, but was going about it at a very slow pace. That wasn't unusual for most villagers. Wherever he'd come from, it surely had to be a neighboring village.

"Like the book?" I asked, causing him to jump. He'd been so intent on the story that he hadn't even noticed me. I laughed at the silliness. It was sort of cute, actually.

"It's…weird."

"For a lack of a better reply," I said, muffling my laughter with a fist as I smiled, staring up at his face. To think that he wouldn't be here, alive, if I hadn't found him that night. He met my gaze, and something strange seemed to catch in the air. Firelight flickering against his face, in contrast to the shadows around us, it was as if I had become mesmerized. Like I was under some sort of spell, entranced by this blonde boy as I watched the light play off the color of his eyes. I was never the best at reading people, but it seemed to me that perhaps he was stuck in the same thing as I was. We sat there for too many seconds too long, watching each other. Finally, after the moment had caught up with me, I swallowed hard and broke the contact instead to stare at the dying fire.

"So," I began, looking for words, "it's late. We should put this out and head to bed. I know you're probably not feeling tired, but you'll be much happier once you actually curl up in bed." My tone was playful, hoping to ease the tension in the room.

"No."

In shock, I glanced back at him. Now it was his turn to stare into the fire. His brow had creased again, and if I wasn't mistaken by the many shadows that darkened his face, his expression held a haunted look.

"Why? Is my home not comfortable?" I accused, one eyebrow rising incredulously, "You know, I can't sleep if I know a strange man is up roaming my house." That point in itself didn't make much sense, considering the circumstances, but I had said it mostly to try and wipe that look off his face. It was scaring me, in all honesty. But the look held to. After a long moment of silence, I sighed softly, and placed my chin in my palm. I watched the flames flicker, the crackling of the fire the only noise other than our breathing.

"I have…dreams." I blinked, surprised that he'd decided to confide in me his reasons.

"Dreams?" I muttered, confused. Then it clicked, "Nightmares? Painful ones?" Now it was his turn to be surprised, and I felt the need to clear up any misunderstandings quickly, "When you were unconscious, you'd have these…episodes. For the most part, you were motionless, but whenever you started to react, you're breathing would hitch like something had hit you in the gut, or…something scared you. You always moved about, looking like you were in pain, or as if something was just too scary to face. I don't know, but it just occurred to me that you were having nightmares, rather than reacting to physical pain." I blew out a breath, my own brow furrowed.

"I saw things…" Link trailed off, and as I waited for him to continue, I realized he probably didn't plan on doing so.

"Don't want to talk about?" I asked then. He shook his head slowly, his mouth setting into a grimace.

"Another time, then." I stood, turning to head to my room. I wished to do something for him, but had no idea what I could possibly be capable of doing that would be of any help. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a hand suddenly grabbed my wrist. Astonished, I looked down at Link's hand, then to his face. "Change your mind?" I asked, unsure as to any other reason that he would stop me.

"No, I just…" as he let his hand fall away from mine, he seemed just as lost as me. Perhaps he couldn't explain his reason for stopping me, just as I hadn't been able to explain a lot of similar things lately. As I stood there, watching the confliction in those darkened blue eyes, a silly idea hit me, and I spoke impulsively.

"Would you like me to sing to you?" Immediately I regretted it, heat crawling up my neck into my cheeks.

He seemed in awe at my sudden suggestion. I hoped for him to reject swiftly so that the awkward embarrassment of this moment would pass, and I could go curl up under my sheets to hide my mortification. But I never seemed to get what I wished for, lately.

"I…" he didn't seem to know how to reply to such an offer, and I was just about ready to tell him to forget it. "Okay." I refrained from gaping at his agreement. Great, now I had to go through with it! After all, I surely couldn't take it back now.

I took my seat in the creaky chair as Link sprawled out on the tiny cot—that hadn't always been so tiny until he laid in it— and got himself comfortable. He didn't bother getting under a blanket, but I also didn't bother mentioning this. The pregnant pause in the air held true, as I wasn't sure how to go about this. Sure, I'd sung to him before, but he'd been unconscious then, and I had always been just trying to make him feel better.

"Should I just…?" I started my question, but the words failed me.

"Go for it." He said, rolling onto his side. And I did. I started off a little rough, as I didn't sing often, and my familiar lullaby never held any words to be sung accept for 'ahs' and 'oohs' when desired. But I continued, feeling my face heat the longer he stared at me, and I locked my gaze with his. Those eyes, and this song…together they seemed so familiar. It was just another one of those unexplainable feelings. Despite myself, I refused to look away. And perhaps I didn't want to. Soon, my song turned to a soft hum, and I noticed his eyelids growing heavy. Somehow, this lullaby just seemed to work so well. After one last verse, he was out. I finished the song, but even after I was done I found my eyes lingering on his sleeping face. Whether it kept the nightmares away, I wouldn't know, but right now he seemed so at peace that I suddenly didn't regret offering to sing.

Sometime after, I stood, cringing as the creaky chair did its thing, and quietly made my way to my bedroom to change, my thoughts on that blue eyed boy. Curled up in bed, I softly hummed the tune once more, my eyes drooping closed. And then I was gone to the world.

* * *

A/N: There it is! This chapter was a couple pages longer than normal. Let me know what you thought! And thank you for all the reviews on the previous chapters. ^^

Also, I'll try to get the next chapter up on time, but don't count on it. My apologies. D;


	7. Chapter 6: Discovered

A/N: Hey guys! Finally finished the sixth chapter. I think everything is set for chapter seven, so I'll see if I can get it typed up fast enough to post it over this week. I was going to originally post sixth and seven together, but since I'm not sure yet if I'll have seven done by Sunday, I decided just to put this one up on its own.

Anyway, hopefully this chapter will answer many of the formulating questions, and with any luck bring up some new ones. ;)

Rating: T

Warning: Cursing, talk of undies, and some promiscuous nightie appearance. ;3

Disclaimer: I do not own the lovely Legend of Zelda franchise, which consists of the games, characters, and settings mentioned within this fanfiction.

* * *

**Discovered**

I stood tall, my expression unwavering in the sight of the evil of Twilight. The beasts marched, flanking their cocky master. I refused to show it, but I was shaking on the inside. My fingers coiled around the royal sword's handle tighter, pressing them pale. I refused to show my fear; or even anger, for that matter. Just as I'd been taught, I did not cower. My eyes locked with the usurp ruler of the Twilight, and in that mere second of contact, my people's suffering flashed before my eyes. As if he saw the horrors reflecting in my eyes, a disgusting smirk lit his alien face. His march continued, and the grotesque future of my kingdom reeled before my vision. I rose a hand, to indicate my intentions, and the war began. Here in the royal throne room, soldiers dared to charge. The struggle was inevitable. The blood had been smeared. The bodies found no safety in my presence, in my protection. The castle could no longer spare them hardships. The bloody war that would reign in Twilight hour would not be kept at bay. The hero would not come.

Zant met my hard gaze once more, and I swallowed. He'd seen the crack in my stone wall. He'd stop at nothing to bring it down, now. As more soldiers gave their last breaths around us, and the horrific screams of monsters resounded as the chorus, my steely eyes refused to move from him. Then, I let Hyrule's courage, willpower, and freedom fall from my grasp. The sword clattered against the marble floor at my feet. The Twili king's smile spread impossibly wide. My eyes fell.

Hero…come for us.

My vision became skewed. Everything blurred, and time passed. Disorientation into blackness. I saw nothing, felt nothing. Suddenly, I became subtly aware that this was a dream, but my current thoughts couldn't process that.

The darkness gave way, as if I saw through opening lids. I stared across the field, wind billowing in my loose strands of hair. Sunset cast the field of battle in contrast to shadow. Blood spilt across the expanse, but of who I could not decipher. Sweat rolled down the nape of my neck, and I found it slightly hard to breath. Something clenched at my throat. Perhaps my heart, too.

Ganondorf wheezed, and the life flowed from the vessel of evil. The hero…Link seemed to shake with the insanity of his kill, his back to me as he kneeled over his victory. The Triforce of Power faded from the dead holder's hand. It was finally over.

I was thrown back from that world again, and everything turned black. Nothingness. Would it ever end?

"Zelda…" The voice sang in my ear, sweet as honey, smooth as silk, and impossible to deny.

"Zelda, you must listen carefully."

I suddenly found my voice, despite the fact that I had no body to speak of. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"Shh, mortal. Do not react with fear. My sisters and I have known you as long as time, before your being was even Zelda."

"That…makes no sense." I wished to shake my nonexistent head in disbelief.

"Ah, Child of Wisdom, my Triforce bearer, it is all right. Everything will be clear soon, but you must listen now. We are aware that you have not been able to decipher your dreams, nor visions. That is because something in the present in blocking them from your current body's consciousness. You may remember their ghost because they keep your physical being from rest, but you can not recall their importance. The hero, he has begun to see what must be, but he, too, is confused. You both must unlock the past together, for it is destined that the land of Hylia will perish without those memories reclaimed."

"I…I don't understand." These dreams she spoke of, the ones that plagued my nights, were messages? Was that what she was trying to tell me?

"Yes, child, they are as important as messages. They are, indeed, messages of their own kind. You must remember. Soon, for the time is drawing near. My sisters and I have already dipped into the time stream to fix a miscalculation of our own, but I'm afraid it has caused more issues than solutions. The boy…he must also revive his past. Please, lead him, for you are the only one able to hear our call. He is too far. Time is cruel, and difficult to navigate, even for us. With its reckless speed, Hyrule will surely fall to darkness in the approaching hour."

"I still don't know what any of that means! What does time have to do with anything? And what is this darkness?" I felt like I was beginning to lose my voice again, as if I was losing touch with the presence.

"Hylia…Zelda, our contact must end. This message must be remembered. Hold to it. Do not forget my words. To save your land and people, do not loss my words to this human consciousness."

The soft words grew fainter, further from me. Soon they were nothing. I tried to follow her directions, because if I'd understood anything, it had been the urgency in the voice. I could already feel it slipping, and I struggled to hold to the words. _Must regain his past, something blocking, reclaim memories…lead him…_

I flung upward, breathing heavily, and eyes wide. Those dreams were still at it. Something tugged at my mind, but I ignored it. As far as my brain could muster, I was pulling a blank. Glancing out the window of my bedroom, I saw the blue light of early dawn coming through. The sun had barely risen, which meant it was time for me to get up and start the day. I had skipped work yesterday, and if I did that again Dominus would be sure to notice.

I stood with something less than fervor, and my toes curled on contact with the cool wooden floor. I shivered in my little nightie, wondering why I had chosen to wear such a short slip-on. Oh, right, because any of my clothes that were meant rightfully for the colder periods were all dirty. Another thing I would have to add to my list of things to do. Laundry was, by far, the least of my favorite chores.

Slouched, arms hugging my torso tightly, I padded out to head to the bathroom. Once I was done with my official business, I reluctantly left the enclosed heat of the private room. My eyes slipped to the boy on the way by, and the day before melded into my forethoughts. The boy was finally awake. His name was Link. He had no memories.

Something hit me then. It was just a few words, but they were suddenly looming, demanding to be recognized. 'Reclaim memories, and regain his past?' I pondered, realizing this had been something from my dream last night. My face scrunched in confusion. I had never once remembered any of the dreams that had been occurring lately, so why had I randomly remembered that? Shaking my head, a dull ache already starting to form where my brow furrowed, I knelt down by the cot to stir the sleeping male awake. I told myself that it was for his benefit, but honestly I was just tired of seeing him sleep.

At first I only shook him gently, in the rare mood to be nice. When he made no move to react, I began to poke and prod at his appendages and face.

"Wakey, wakey," I said in a sing-song voice. This used to irritate Cole, and though I was sure that Link and Cole were nothing alike, I figured it might get him to wake up quicker. When I began to grow frustrated, I jabbed multiply times at his stomach, searching for a soft spot that would hurt, "Come on." I continued to whine. When there was no response, a thought popped into my head that made my heart pound, and fear strike me cold. What if he had fallen into a coma again? My prodding grew harsher, and after one particularly rough poke to his side, a loud groan escaped his lips. I sighed in relief, putting pause to his torture.

Then, much to my skepticism, he rolled over to face the wall, leaving the blanket tangled between his legs. I couldn't believe this! In my mini fit of rage, I began to whip pokes at him left and right. I made sure not to be soft. He squirmed, grunting and sluggishly swatting at my hands, which were much too fast for him to even come close to slapping away. I began attacking his back, and he jumped slightly. The lazy cat had had enough, apparently, because he surprised me when he rolled around again, effectively capturing my hands under him. I growled as he smacked his lips and seemed to go back to sleep.

Infuriated, I glowered at Link's sleeping face, ripping my hands from underneath him. Having long forgotten the morning chill that had caused me to scurry about quickly before, I stomped to the foot of the bed, fisted the blanket in my hands and tugged hard. The force that had him locked within it was enough to bring him with the sheet. His eyes shot open as he fought for a grip on the cot, his body tumbling over the edge. He managed to save himself, and his booty plopped softly to the floor. Stunned and uncomprehending, he looked up at me. As soon as his eyes landed on mine, I threw the blanket at his face.

"That's what you get, you lazy butt!" I huffed, refusing to admit that most of my anger was due to my own previous panic, and how his reluctance to wake up had caused them. I crossed my arms, watching him slowly remove the blanket from his head. His hair was sticking up in various directions, but I refused to be amused by the sight. A disgruntled look had now taken over his expression, but before he could even think to say something he would regret, I made sure to get to it first.

"Get up, and clean up. The day's already begun, and we have a lot to figure out. I also have to work, so I expect you to be able to make breakfast for yourself so you don't starve. I'm not babying you anymore." When he seemed to want to say something, I rose an incredulous eyebrow to announce that there would be no arguments. Geez, I was starting to feel like a mother, or something like it. Or maybe I was just being an ass.

He seemed to give up on discussion, shaking his head before giving me a look. I shared the look with him, wondering what his problem was. He eyed my body, and my gaze shifted downward. Right, the nightie. I tried to hide my embarrassment, and leveled my gaze with his.

"What? Does sleepwear bother you?" He coughed, seeming to be hiding a chuckle that caused my brow to crease, "Whatever." I turned on my heel and nearly stomped back to my bedroom, already feeling the heat crawling into my cheeks. After changing into a less revealing outfit, which simply consisted of a pair of brown breeches and a loose blouse, I walked out from behind the curtains of my bedroom's threshold, and spotted his look of approval. I let my dull glare settle on him.

"Much better," he mumbled, trying to hide his smile as he closed the bathroom door. I noticed the blanket had been thrown haphazardly onto the cot. When I inspected Link, I noticed how damp his hair looked after watching a water droplet slide down his temple.

"Is that how you clean yourself up?" I asked with only mild interest. My eyebrows rose high upon my forehead as I took in his messy job of fixing his hair. He only shrugged. I was suddenly aware of how comfortable he was. It was strange, since I was sure that he would have taken much longer to adjust. There was that itch again, that kept telling me something was off. To top it off, when I was on that train of thought, I realized just how comfortable _I_ felt around _him_. I hated people—or at least that's what I told myself all the time— and somehow he'd managed to worm his way under my skin already. Sighing, I stepped over to pull on my worn boots.

"Where are you going?" He seemed startled. I glanced at him sideways, then went back to lacing up.

"You don't remember? I have to work." I muttered, moving onto the next boot. "Don't worry. The fields are slow right now. I'll be back around mid-afternoon. Soon as I finish helping Dina with the laundry." The silence was tense, and when I looked up I saw his conflicted expression. "What? Can't live without me for a few hours? You'll be fine. Foods all in the chiller. Also some bread somewhere in the cabinets. If you really can't cook, we have leftovers." I stood after I was done, uncomfortable with his silence.

I placed my hand on the handle, sending him a small smile for his benefit. "Well, I'm off. Oh, and one more thing. Don't leave the house. There's someone that can't know you're even in the village. Read, eat, do whatever that won't cause me trouble. Just, please," I gave him a serious look, "don't even get too close to the windows." Link's face showed clear confusion, but he nodded anyway.

I pulled at the handle, hearing the click as the door opened.

"Wait!" Link's hushed exclamation caused me to pause. I glanced at him slowly before moving my eyes back to the view of Ordon at dawn, seen from my doorstep. "Those nightmares…I didn't have them last night." For a long moment, I was still. Then I nodded, and stepped out the door. After it clicked shut, I let the small smile grace my lips.

Work went by surprisingly quickly. The summer was cooling off, and the days were no longer sweltering. Sooner than expected, I found myself by the stream scrubbing out cleaned clothing. I scooted up on my stool, leaning forward to let the water soak the shirt. Dina finished a pair of pants, and she put them in the basket before stretching out the kinks that the job of laundry tended to give. We had been currently discussing the matters of what to do with the sleeping— now awake blonde living in my house. We contemplated sneaking him onto one of the carriages to the next village so he could see a doctor. Of course, someone would have to go with him, which just wasn't possible. We also discussed the matter of his lost memories, and what that meant. After too much heavy discussion, Dina transitioned into light chatter for my comfort.

"I told Dex that if he didn't get married soon, no woman was going to want him. After all, look at Belle! Only twenty and she's already gonna be a mother. Well, Cal is a few years older, but that's besides the point." She then leaned over to me, whispering, "Honestly, I just want to ship him off to the next gal so I no longer have to wash his underwear." She laughed, and my face twisted in disgust, which caused her to laugh harder.

"What happened to preserving my innocence?" I grouched. I didn't want to ever think about underwear and Dex in the same mental image.

"Oh, hun, a man's _underwear_ is far below what I'm concerned about." I tried not to show my disturbance so to not encourage her more.

"Now what was I sayin'?" She started mumbling to herself, regaining her train of thought when Olivia bounded up to us.

"Guys, guys!" She shouted in hushed tones of excitement. I turned around fully to look at the bouncing feminine creature of joy before going back to my work. Dina waved with just as much excitement at the younger girl, ushering her over as if she hadn't taken it upon herself to join us already. Sometimes I wondered why I hung out with these overly happy people.

Olivia plopped down between our stools, her short dark locks jumping with every excited bounce in her movements. The fifteen year old looked at us with big blue eyes, a grin plastered on her face.

"Hiya, Olive," Dina said, using Olivia's usual pet name. "You seem more cheerful than usual. What's the gossip?" Both she and Olivia shared a giggle.

"Why, it's the best thing to happen in weeks!" She continued to bounce on the balls of her feet. I kept to my cleaning, refusing to take part in the trivial rumors that filled Ordonian ladies' chit-chat. Dina was, as always, willing to listen, and I in contrast just barely kept my attention on her. And that was only because I could never completely focus on laundry. Olivia sucked in a breath. Here it comes. "Dr. Shaddo's back!"

"What?" Both of us exclaimed, turning to her. I nearly lost my shirt in the river due to my shock.

"Yup! Just heard from Iliana, who saw Malina rushing out of town a couple hours ago. Said she went up to meet her father!"

"Oh, this is wonderful news!" Dina squealed. Yes, it truly was. Belle would finally be at ease. And I…well, I could finally get some true medical attention for Link. We wouldn't even have to set up a secret trip to another village!

Olivia nudged me, winking, "Yup, sure is!" I actually returned her smile for once.

"Thanks, Olivia."

She seemed taken aback by my grateful tone, but soon a grin stretched from ear to ear, "No problem, girl!"

"Olivia!" We all looked back to see Sal, the teen's mother, hollering from the doorway of their family's store. "Come help me in here. Don't go run off to play at this time." Olivia sighed, and I smirked.

She stuck her tongue at me, and being in a good mood as I was, I returned the immature gesture. We watched her run back to the shop, before returning to our own work.

"Zelda, we need to get Dr. Shaddo to see Link as soon as possible." Dina was the first to officially say it once we were alone. I nodded, no longer able to focus on cleaning clothes.

"He'll want to see Belle first. How do you think I should ask?"

"I'll just tell him you need a house call later. You can explain everything once he gets there."

"He must be exhausted." I noted.

"I'm sure, but he'll understand the circumstances once he sees him." I nodded solemnly. She stood up suddenly, surprising me. "You know what, I'll go hang these up and head over to Belle's. After he's done, I'll send him your way. In the meantime, you can finish up what's left." My eyes slowly narrowed into a glare as she began to back away.

"You're just trying to get out of cleaning!" I griped, throwing a handful of water at her. She laughed, putting up a hand to shield from the spray before dashing off. I sighed exasperatedly.

After twenty minutes more of grueling back pain and raw scrubbing, my hands were crippled and wrinkled to match. Once the godessess sang, and the laundry was sopping wet and clean, I lugged my way from the river to Dina and Dex's home. It was quiet as I walked the empty dirt path, the village strangely silent. It was almost ominous, with an eerie sort of deadness. I brushed the feeling off, despite the fact that Ordon was brimming with life around this hour of the day.

A breeze pushed past me, and a voice calling my name rode the wind. I turned then, recognizing the deep voice as a certain burly redhead. And just as I'd known, there he was. Dex jogged up to me. Bewilderment kept me from giving any sort of hello. It was strange, how he's expression seemed dark. He barely smiled, let alone showed me all his pearly whites as he normally did. His brow, too, was full of negativity in the deep crease. Something in his step seemed too urgent.

"Zelda," he said, stopping to stand tall in my vision.

I worked myself out of my thoughts to say something. "Funny that you found me, Dex. I was just on my way to your house to—"

"I'll take the laundry back. You need to go." His tone was laced with worry.

"Why the sudden eagerness to help with laundry?" I asked teasingly, brow raised in a serious manner as I tried to hide my nervousness. The jolt of my heart was unstoppable, though. There was just too many things to be worried about in the present, too many things that could have gone wrong.

"Zelda…you need to go see Dominus. He's asked for you." I had a good inkling of an idea as to what this little summon by the slave master had to do with, based on Dex's tense look. I swallowed hard, shifting the weight of the baskets in my arms. So the secret had finally made it to its dreaded destination.

"I see. Have any idea as to what the big man wants?" I asked nonchalantly, as if we both didn't already know what this requested visit was about. He shook his head, but his narrowed, concerned gaze told me he had his assumptions, which most likely ran on the same line as my own. After a short, pregnant silence that we shared simply staring at one another, I nodded. Handing over the bulky baskets of clothes, Dex took them hurriedly. "I better get going then." I announced, taking a step away from Dex. Taking a few more paces in the proper direction, I shot Dex a tight smile that didn't nearly reach my eyes.

"Zelda!" Dex made a step towards me, but halted. I paused, watching him with much reluctance to leave. "Zelda…you don't have to go."

"I wish I didn't." I said softly. We fell into another silence full of anxiety.

Finally, he spoke again, "You…they say the moon looks brighter from the Field around this time." His eyes were wide at his own intention hidden in those words. I understood what he meant.

"Sadly, I don't think I'll get a chance to see it." I shook my head.

"You used to talk about seeing it when you were little. Maybe now is a good time?" His words were hesitant, and he seemed to want to say more, but nothing came.

"I'll be back." My tone told a story of more than a simple departing phrase. Then I turned on him and pushed my body into a jog down the path I'd come. Once Dex was sure to be out of sight, I slowed to a stroll, and let my thoughts sink in. The air had suddenly frozen over the more I thought of the looming future, and the ominous feeling was crowding around me.

As I made my way across Ordon, to where Dominus' house sat up on the low-lying cliffs that surrounded the village, I wondered if the rest of the villagers knew. If they did…well, Belle really didn't need that stress. Dina was sure to be worried. After all, even Dex had been shaken enough to suggest running.

My eyes glared at the dozen of wooden steps that led up to the elevated house, and I began to climb. Standing on the walk to the doorstep, I turned my back to the large residence. From my vantage point, I could see nearly all of Ordon. Almost every house was visible, all major landmarks in view. Even Rado's ranch and the fields could just barely be seen. Now I understood why Dominus had chosen such a ridiculously abnormal place to put his abnormal house. When I turned to the overtly large home that, despite its sheer size, looked much like the rest of Ordon's houses, I remembered the last time I had come here. It had been a week—no, not even that, perhaps five days after. I believe Ulina had taken me.

Now I could no longer curl up against the safety of an adult's side. No one was going to be able to protect me from the tyrant. Taking in a deep breath, I took the few steps up to the door. Rapping on the door with three resounding bangs, I waited with tense shoulders.

"It's open!" I heard the muffled yell for inside the depth of the home. He couldn't even bother to answer the door? I sighed, gently wrapping my fingers around the handle before twisting it open. With a reluctant tug, I opened it and stepped through the threshold.

"Hello?" I called, staring down the empty hall as I shut the door with a resounding and final click.

"Living room." Dominus' voice carried down the corridor, and I followed the sound. The hall held a few doors along the walls leading to unknown rooms. If it were not for the ridiculously extravagant carpeting, furniture, and decorations that lined the walls, this would just seem like any large Ordonian home. Memories from seven years before hit me with sudden flashes as I took in familiar sights. The décor hadn't changed much.

At the end of the hallway, the room opened up into a poorly lit, but fairly large room. The same blood-red carpeting covered the floors, and candlelight cast shadows across the pale walls. Centered on the opposite side of the room was a fireplace, seeming to serve as the main attraction of the living room. Around the stone encasement of flames were the major pieces of furniture, which were only a lavish loveseat, matching chair, and an end table. Nothing else stood out, besides the obvious outline of Dominus, who sat in the single chair. A lonely, cold room. Not even the warmth that the fireplace radiated was enough to fight off the ice. Goosebumps rose along my bare forearms. I cleared my throat.

Stirring in his seat, a book was placed out on the table, a pen soon following to be placed in the spine. It was too dark, too far, for me to read the contents. I took a small step forward, stopping when Dominus stood from his chair. My expression was carefully composed when he turned.

"Ah, Ms. Harkin. Glad you could make it." I heard no heartfelt emotion in his tone. He made his way around the chair, only to keep a good deal of distance between us. I didn't mind, though now I could make out the details of his plump face in the candlelight. I witnessed him take a deep breath, and his crooked nose wrinkled in what resembled revulsion. "I see you just finished your work," he said, making a small motion as if to cover his airways from a foul odor.

Of course, I was sure to smell of sweat and the outdoors; a scent of hard work. Something I was confident that Dominus had never experienced before. So I chose to ignore his remark. "Dex told me you wanted to see me."

"Yes, I did tell the brute that, didn't I?" He hummed with distaste, as if he had forgotten, and changed his mind.

I let my fingers dig into the fabric of my loose pants. "What did you need to speak with me about?"

"Ah, actually it was a few simple matters, really." He drawled, and turned his back to me. Moving towards the small end table, he closed the book softly. "I would like you to tell Dr. Shaddo's daughter—what was her name? Anyway, please alert her to the fact that, after much thought, I've decided to put that red mare down."

It took a moment for that news to settle in, as I was too shocked at the new realization that he hadn't called me here because of Link.

He continued, "Let her know that this is my final decision, and she will do well to complete the task quickly. I do hope she won't need help. It doesn't please me when those plebian loafers put more work on me." As he spoke, his back was to me. I could nearly feel the icy amusement in his tone, and I was positive that that last jab was meant for me.

When I spoke next, I tried to not let on how distraught I was to hear this news of the imminent fate for Epona, "I thought the horse was quite the keeper. She would…earn a lot in any course you took with her." I knew, however, that my attempts to save her with my words were futile.

"Not that I need to tell _you_ my reasons, but I have already decided that she will only become a waste." He turned back to me now, "Much like others in this village, I can tell my efforts will bring me no harvest. I do not wish to waste more rupees on anymore pointless endeavors."

I swallowed, my throat feeling tight as I changed the subject, "I will tell her. But I must ask…why did you call me here to tell me this, when you could have called Malina? I would think that would be more productive."

He chuckled, and it was not a pleasant sound. "Oh, I have my reasons. Besides, I was aware that you were…close with this girl? I know how ridiculously attached she becomes to the beasts, and I didn't want to bother. You, however, could tell her with much more ease." I didn't buy this, because even this was much too nice for Dominus. But I nodded anyway. The sooner I left this house, the better.

"Is that all?" I asked. He smiled, seemingly contemplating something for a short moment longer, before he finally nodded.

"Be on your way."

I didn't hesitate to turn, taking steps back towards the hallway.

"Oh, Ms. Harkin!"

I paused, a chill running up my spine. I didn't turn around, for fear of his expression. Something lurked in his tone that caused me to still.

"I believe you are aware of my specific sentence for breaking of Ordon's major laws, yes?" My veins turned to ice before he could continue, "I've made an exception for you, _Zelda_. You shall not receive punishment. However, the boy shall be escorted for persecution by noon tomorrow. That is all." His tone was light and dismissive. I couldn't find a strand of courage in me to reply.

My exit from the house, and at least half the walk home, was a blur to me. I was surprised that I didn't stumble down the steps on the way out. My heart didn't seem to know what to do either, but after some time to let my swirling thoughts settle in, it seemed to have made the decision to keep a quick, pulsing pace. The night had shuffled in, and brought a cool breeze with it, which eventually helped to clear my head.

I don't quite know why I had never thought of this before. Perhaps I had, but disregarded it because of all the people who could only disregard the same idea. But now I saw the truth, the one prospect of freedom. I felt foolish now as I made my way home for what would hope to be the last time, because the choice should have been obvious seven, five, or even one year ago. Maybe the goddesses, if they even bothered to care anymore, had kept me from going solely because I was meant to be here to rescue Link. That thought, however, was ludicrous, and I shoved it to the side immediately. Yet, I had finally made the choice I'd been waiting for myself to make for seven years.

* * *

A/N: Well, there it is! This chapter really is the start of a big turn for this story, and the next chapter will make more sense of that.

You know that early scene with Link and Zelda? While writing and rereading that, I realized that Zelda is just a big grumpy kitten in the morning. xD

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and sorry for it taking so long! Be sure to review if you have any questions or concerns. Good day, my lovelies!

*Poofs into purple smoke*


End file.
